MONTREAL - Steven Stamkos has 20 goals, and five other players are tied at 19, and we haven't even hit the holiday roster freeze.

While we marvel at the accomplishments of these players before the season has reached the halfway point, it's ironic that any thread of positive forecasting about the Canadiens making the playoffs is met with scorn and abuse.

After all, the team is merely four points out of sixth place in the East.

Not trying to sell anyone on the idea that this team is headed towards a remarkable turnaround. There would be no evidence to support that theory.

But the Canadiens aren't out of the race, and that means it's time to shift our focus from the language debate, and back onto the team that's been saddled with a new leader.

Randy Cunneyworth has the opportunity to make his mark on this road-trip. So far, he's 0-1, but he has five more tries to bring the Canadiens back to Montreal with their playoff chances intact.

And if we're assessing things honestly, we saw a major difference in their competition level between Saturday's debacle against the New Jersey Devils and Monday's close call against the Boston Bruins.

Can the Habs build with baby steps?


Budaj is Cunneyworth's First Risky Call

The Habs have lost three straight games, and they're going with Budaj against the Chicago Blackhawks--the West's top ranked team.

Budaj, who is 1-3-0.

Budaj, who hasn't played since a 31-save loss to the Florida Panthers.

If memory serves, it was Price who beat the Hawks last year in a 2-1 thriller at the Bell Centre last season, to clinch a playoff berth for the team.

And one more thing, the Canadiens were 5-1 winners over the Jets last time they were in Winnipeg.

No question, this is Cunneyworth's first risk as head coach.

Will it pay off?


Psychology of the Goalie Choice

Starting Budaj against the team with the league's top record is a message to the players that they can't sit back and rely on their goaltender to win them the game.

If it works, the Habs get a major confidence boost by beating the league's best with their back up.

If it works, the Habs take that confidence and a rested Price to a hostile Winnipeg building where they pretty much had their top performance of the season more than two months ago.

If it doesn't work, it'll be a bigger discussion point than the language debate.