Heading into their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon, the Canadiens needed to make a choice: win, or accept their fate. With a victory that day, and another on Super Bowl Sunday, the Habs made as strong a statement as they are capable of making these days.
Tonight, things get a little tougher. The Tampa Bay Lightning struggled through the early part of the season, but having already had their "we should probably make the playoffs" epiphany, they are now red-hot and a far stronger squad than the many that Montreal has failed to handle of late.