by James Di Fiore

Created on: April 18, 2008

Fans in Montreal are experiencing Deja Vu this playoff season. They have a rookie goaltender, a balanced team with no top tier superstars and a capacity for winning close games. If you have heard this before than you remember the 1986 edition of Les Habitants - when then rookie net minder Patrick Roy led the Habs to their 23rd Stanley Cup behind a club known for their team chemistry, speed and grit.

Fast forward to 2008. Montreal traded their #1 goalie, Cristobal Huet, near the trade deadline and have pinned their playoff hopes on another rookie sensation, Carey Price. Price is 20 years young, the same age Roy was when he brought the Cup home to Montreal.

The Canadiens are the Eastern Conference champions and can be considered the front-runners in the chase for the Stanley Cup. They led the league in goals scoring and power play percentage and have shown the league that despite their lack of size they are not a team that can be pushed around. Alexi Kovalev has had his best season since he was traded from the New York Rangers, reestablishing love from the Montreal faithful who were ready to write him off after a disappointing campaign last year.

The only setback for the Habs is the injury to their captain, Saku Koivu, who will miss the first round against the Boston Bruins with a leg injury. Koivu has begun skating at practices but has not yet been cleared to play. The Habs' hard-hitting defenseman, Michael Komisarek, was also sidelined for the last three weeks of the season with a shoulder injury but will start the first round with the club.

Their first round opponents are the Boston Bruins, an old time rivalry that has seemed rather tame this season as the Habs won all 8 meetings between the two storied franchises. Despite the jacked up energy of the playoff fever, look for the Habs to win this series rather easily.

Overall, Montreal has its best team in years. They are well-rounded, disciplined and have the best fans in the NHL. Most importantly, the characteristics of the club are identical to the Stanley Cup winning team of 1986, and while this may seem superstitious to some analysts, most hockey purists will tell you that the playoffs are the birthplace of good omens. Look for the Canadiens to make the final, bringing home their first Cup in 15 years.

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