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THE REGULAR SEASON

The season begins much like the previous one. The team struggles to win and digs a deep hole for itself. On November 18, the Habs lose 6-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking the team’s fifth straight loss, and its 13th in 20 games since the start of the season.

New team president Pierre Boivin has seen enough. On November 20, he fires general manager Rejean Houle, head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coach Clement Jodoin. Andre Savard is named the team’s general manager and Michel Therrien, the head coach of the Canadiens’ farm team in Quebec City, is promoted and takes over behind the bench.

On the ice, things don’t get any better in December as the team manages just one win. In a bid to add some size up front, Savard acquires Chad Kilger from the Edmonton Oilers on December 18.

On January 2, the team records a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders. The outcome draws much less attention than the scorer of Montreal’s third and final goal. With the Islanders having pulled their goalie, Jose Theodore lobs a backhand the length of the ice and puts the puck into the empty net to become the first goalie in team history to be credited with a goal. He also becomes the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and post a shutout in the same game.

In February, Savard pulls off the Canadiens’ first trade with Boston in nearly 40 years when he acquires defenseman Patrick Traverse in exchange for Eric Weinrich.

On March 13, with the team falling further out of playoff contention, Savard makes his first significant trade and deals Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus to the Washington Capitals for Richard Zednik and Jan Bulis.

The Habs end the season with 70 points, their lowest total in 50 years. For a third year in a row, no member of the Canadiens reaches the 50 point benchmark. For just the second time in team history, Montreal misses the playoffs for a third consecutive season, as it did from 1919-20 to 1921-22.