Gameday

I don't think anything can compare to the start of the playoffs in Montreal. I'm not trying to make a case for Montreal as the ultimate hockey city or as the capital of anything, but anyone who has even lived here for two minutes can feel what is referred to here as the fever or "la fièvre" in my language.

In today's paper, the top third of the first page is dedicated to the Habs and to the new deity in town, Cristobal Huet. He is cleverly referred to as both a "Guardian Angel" and a "Saviour". Let's not put too much pressure on the guy.

Everybody in town, young or old, English or French, man or woman, straight or gay, knows that if the Habs have any chance in this series, they will need Huet to stand on his head. He could actually use the wings they gave him in that picture, but I don't think they are permitted in the new NHL.

The sportswriters here have been working overtime in the last week and, at least in French papers, they have unearthed every possible statistic to attempt to properly analyse the match up between the Habs and the Hurricanes. They've even gone as far back as stating how the Habs had never lost a series to Whalers. Like that's going to help them this year.

Finally, the editorial cartoon in today's La Presse is just brilliant. Of course, I can't find it on the Web, but I've taken the liberty of snapping a photo and posting it here. Chapleau is a genius.