"When the Canadiens were busy tanking the early part of this miserable season, a francophone wit whose name we've forgotten suggested that it wasn't all that bad.

"If you turn your newspaper upside down," he said, "they're in first place!"

We're going to go out on a limb here and assume that you're reading this upside down. If you are, you already know that the once-glorious Montreal Canadiens are now the Sad Sacks of St. Antoine St.

Even after Sunday's rather pointless 3-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, the Canadiens have a record that would make a strong fan weep: they're 20-33 overall, with 10 wins in 28 games at the Bell Centre. They're tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 49 points, although the win Sunday edged them into 14th place, one rung ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes because the Canadiens hold a game in hand."