The ghosts in the old Montreal Forum finally awoke from their four-year nap.

In Montreal, this was the feel-good year of the century. Saku Koivu, who got the staid, take-winning-for-granted Montreal fans to fall in love with a Finn, beat insurmountable odds and defeated cancer to return to his team in a city inspired.

	2001-02 by the numbers
	Record: 36-31-12-3, 87 points (18th overall, 8th East, 4th Northeast) Goals for: 207/2.52 (19th overall) Goals against: 209/2.55 (15th overall) Differential: -2 (19th overall) 20-goal scorers: Yanic Perreault (27), Oleg Petrov (24), Richard Zednik (22) 50-point scorers: Perreault (56)

Jose Theodore, a 25-year-old French-Canadian goaltender who grew up bathed in Canadiens' glory and idolizing Patrick Roy, took over the reins of the most storied crease in hockey history -- the one occupied by Roy and Worsley and Plante -- and led his over-achieving team back into the playoffs. He took home the Vezina and Hart trophies for his efforts.

The Habs played around .500 all season, finishing with a 36-31-12-3 record for 87 points, the lowest of any playoff-bound team. But, what matters is that they were playoff-bound.

The Canadiens battled from the close of the Olympic break through the very last day of the season to make the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Winger Donald Audette returned from a career-threatening cut to his left forearm and four months of rehab just in time for the Canadiens' stretch run. Then came the Koivu infusion and the chemistry that the Canadiens had been looking for the past four years. Against the charging Hurricanes, the smaller Canadiens simply ran out of gas.

"For us, the playoffs started in February," said Theodore. "With the new players we have gotten, we will be more competitive."

Looking at next season
All "the new players" amounts to two: Mariusz Czerkawski and Randy McKay. But GM Andre Savard is pleased with the look of his team and says he won't be adding any more players. He has his work cut out for him, though. Savard has 10 restricted free agents to sign, one of which is the all-important Theodore. As of July 16, the Canadiens and Theodore were still about $2 million apart.

Sniper Czerkawski was acquired from the Islanders in a draft-day deal. Last season, the Polish right wing scored a disappointing 22 goals, but in the two seasons prior, he scored more than 30. If Czerkawski can revert back to his old goal-scoring ways, he can provide the offensive spark the Canadiens desperately need.

The Canadiens are three and four deep at every forward position, but they lack toughness. Montreal-native McKay (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) adds much-needed muscle and grit to the front lines, but another grinder or two wouldn't hurt.

Yanic Perreault and Richard Zednik will again be Montreal's marathon men. Last season, they each played all 82 games and finished 1-2 in points (56 and 44, respectively). In a game where puck possession is key, the Canadiens have a lethal weapon in Perreault, the best face-off man in the league for the second year running.

Veteran center Doug Gilmour is training as if he were going to play another season, but the 39-year-old hasn't decided whether or not he will return. Gilmour filled the leadership void left when Koivu was sick and chipped in with 41 points. If Gilmour does not return, it will be important to have Audette back to his goal-scoring self.

Right wingers Oleg Petrov, Andreas Dackell and centers Joe Juneau and Mike Ribeiro round out the Habs offense.

Defensively, the Canadiens overachieved as much during the playoffs as they did all season long. They are a classic example of the whole being better than the sum of its parts. With the exception of talented youngster Andrei Markov, they are individually average. Patrice Brisebois and Stephane Quintal each play about 22 minutes per game, but there is no real No. 1 defenseman to set the tempo for the group. With Sheldon Souray, Karl Dykhuis, Craig Rivet, Stephane Robidas and Patrick Traverse, they get the job done. When they don't, Theodore is there to bail them out.

In two of the past three drafts, Montreal has used its top pick on defensemen. In 2000, they picked Connecticut-native Ron Hainsey, a 6-3, 200-pounder from UMass-Lowell, and in 2001, they picked 6-4, 225-pound New Yorker Mike Komisarek of the University of Michigan. Ironically, one of these American kids could develop into the boost the Canadiens' defense is lacking.

It is Theodore who makes up for the gaps in the Canadiens' defense. He won six playoff games despite Montreal being outshot an average of 36 shots to 24. This season, the pressure will be on. If the Canadiens want to win, Theodore will have to be as good.

It's all up to him, and the ghosts.