"Throughout the hockey world, even in Quebec, there's really only one language. It has two letters, W and L.

The language, of course, is wins and losses. If a coach wins, he's good. If he loses, he's not.

Montreal's Randy Cunneyworth is finally winning. The NHL's most famous unilingual Anglophone has led the Canadiens to points in five of their last six games, a run he hopes to continue tonight when the Buffalo Sabres visit. It has, at least temporarily, quieted the calls for his head that began the moment he was hired as interim coach Dec. 17.

"[It's settled down] for the time being," Montreal defenseman Josh Gorges said Monday. "Winning will keep it that way. That's the only recipe to keep things quiet and keep things positive is to win. We know that as players, and they know that as coaches. We've got to go out there and win some games.""