OFFSIDER

he Montreal Canadiens have a better chance of great EF accomplishments in the playoffs this season than they

have had in the past four or five seasons. There are two reasons for this; the reasons are related and easily attributed to current coach Jacques Demers. The two-time Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins have shown us that championship teams can be made of offensive hockey. Under Pat Burns, who is now coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Canadiens could play a great defensive game

but were weak offensively. Demers has softened up the Canadiens to produce a scoring team; this, combined with the

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defensive left-overs of Burn’s term as coach, makes the Canadiens a legitimate threat for the first time in a while.

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The new Montreal offensive play makes them able to win more games. Think back to last year’s playoff series against the Hartford Whalers. The series went to seven games because Montreal could not play catch-up hockey; any game in which Hartford acquired a lead usually meanta loss for the Canadiens. Again under Demers, this has changed. Last week the Canadiens came back from two 3 - 0 deficits to win the game. Demers has proven himself a good coach for the Canadiens.

Why is the Norris Division home to most of the NHL’s outstand- ing goaltenders? Run through it divisionally:

Adams: Roy, Moog, Burke, Hasek

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