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The Canadiens didn't make the playoffs last season. But to come two points shy of the No. 8 spot with all their injuries was a great accomplishment -- although that's not the type of "achievement" Habs fans are looking for. ESPN.com takes a Closer Look at Buffalo in '99-00 and what it needs to get better next season.

Season Review: M.A.S.H. unit plays together

	Hackett

For Montreal to overcome so many injuries to remain competitive, several unexpected performances were needed -- along with a few players who needed to live up to expectations. The most consistent spot was in net, where Jeff Hackett and Jose Theodore combined for a team GAA of 2.34 and .914 save percentage. Trade rumors surrounded Hackett much of the time, but his insistence on wanting to stay in Montreal had to be a boost to his teammates.

Offensively, Martin Rucinsky scored 25 times and led the team with 49 points. As talented as Rucinsky is, 49 points leading a team is as red a flag as there can be in terms of statistics. It was great that Sergei Zholtok nearly doubled his career high with 26 goals, but after him, no one had more than 17 goals; and that guy was Brian Savage, who only played 38 games.

To go over the littany of injuries would waste too much space, but the biggest loss was Saku Koivu. The talented Finn was poised to break out this past season, but a shoulder injury forced him to miss 40 games. And in the end, he only played 24 games, scoring three goals and adding 18 assists.

The Open Market: Lots but little names

	FREE AGENCY
	Key unsigned free agents: Craig Rivet, Stephane Robidas, Martin Rucinsky, Sheldon Souray, Jose Theodore, Dainius Zubrus. Signings/offseason acquisitions: Andrei Bashkirov, Eric Bertrand, Sylvain Blouin, Craig Darby, Xavier Delisle, Matt Higgins, Saku Koivu, Eric Landry, Mike McBain, Patrick Poulin, Brian Savage, P.J. Stock.

The Habs have been active in signing players but haven't made any big splashes. On the positive end, Koivu won't be a holdout, and Savage will be in on time as well.

The remainder of the signings were for organizational depth and to stock the lower lines.

On the negative side, there are some key guys still unsigned. Word is that Rucinsky might be a tough one, and Theodore should get a raise as well. Other than those two, there shouldn't be much trouble.

How to improve: Stay healthy
When looking at the numbers, both Savage and Koivu's numbers project well over a full season -- excepting Koivu's low goal total -- but that's the big unknown: Both combined for only 62 games last season. That cannot happen again. And the rest of the team needs to stay healthy, as well. Some injuries are unavoidable, but hopefully, the training staff did its part in preparing the team for the long haul in '00-01.

But if Rucinsky holds out for a long period -- he could even play in his native Czech Republic -- the Canadiens' offense will be affected, regardless of health. Rucinsky, Koivu and Trevor Linden could be an exciting line to watch.

For a non-playoff team, the Habs had a suprising plus-2 goal differential. That's a credit to the goaltending and the relatively young defensive corps. That must continue because the Canadiens just won't have the depth up front to run-and-gun with most of the NHL.

Brian A. Shactman is the NHL Editor for ESPN.com.