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THE REGULAR SEASON

ns among the team’s fans, who can now count on having two quality centers in the lineup. That hopeful outlook suddenly transforms into one of concern.

In September, the team makes the shocking announcement that its captain, Saku Koivu, is suffering from intra-abdominal non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer.

On October 5, Savard attempts to address his captain’s absence by signing veteran Doug Gilmour.

The team has an up and down first month without its captain and emotional leader.

On October 30, in a game against the Edmonton Oilers, 18-year-old Olivier Michaud becomes the second-youngest goalie to take part in an NHL game when he relieves Mathieu Garon. He stops each of the 14 shots he faces.

Savard adds some scoring power and experience to the offense by acquiring Donald Audette and Shaun Van Allen from the Dallas Stars in return for Martin Rucinsky and Benoit Brunet.

In November, the Habs climb to sixth place in the Eastern Conference with seven wins in 13 games. Jose Theodore is the primary reason for the team’s success. Theodore is simply spectacular in maintaining a goals-against-average below two while regularly facing 30 or more shots per game.

Adversity, however, strikes Michel Therrien’s team once again. The newly-acquired Audette sees his forearm tendons are sliced by the skate of New York Rangers forward Radek Dvorak. His season is jeopardized.

After a rough December despite more remarkable performances by Theodore, Savard makes another move at the end of January. He trades with the Phoenix Coyotes to obtain forward Sergei Berezin in exchange for Brian Savage.

Following the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Theodore takes matters into his own hands. Despite the Habs’ numerous injuries, the young goalie comes up with still more outstanding performances that allow the team to win seven games in a row. The call goes out: Theodore has to be a candidate for not just the Vézina Trophy, but the Hart Trophy as well – both pieces of hardware he will collect later in June. The feat makes Theodore the only the third goalie in NHL history to claim both honors, joining Dominik Hasek and Habs legend Jacques Plante.

On April 9, Koivu makes his emotional return from cancer, with the Habs’ captain receiving a lengthy standing ovation from a capacity Bell Centre crowd. The Canadiens celebrate the occasion with a 4-3 victory over the Senators, securing the Habs first playoff berth in four years.