Your gut tells you how tonight will go, eh?

The air in Montreal this morning, *tabarnac*, it’s got that little hum, you know? Not full-blown carnival like a playoff run, not yet, but it’s definitely not sleepy, non. From the guy selling his St-Viateur bagels on Fairmount to the commuters squeezing into the métro at Berri-UQAM, everyone’s got the Montreal Canadiens on their mind. We just snapped that little losing skid, a win felt *bien* good, and now we’re facing the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. People are talking about that win, saying maybe the boys finally figured out how to close out a game, eh? There’s a bit of confidence mixed with the usual Montreal anxiety, like we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.

What are they saying? Mostly, it’s about the defense, or the lack of it, *des fois*. I heard a couple of guys at my usual spot near La Banquise, debating if our young blueliners are ready for a deep run or if we need another body. But mostly, it’s just the pure joy of seeing them win, even if it's just one game. We’ve been waiting so long for this team to feel like *our* Canadiens again, the ones who make the Bell Centre’s Bell Tower feel like the center of the hockey universe. We're clinging to every good sign, every strong shift.

Allez Les Canadiens — Go Habs Go. This is Amélie Boisvert.

Écoute, les gars à l'émission du matin décortiquent ça comme personne — tu peux les attraper live à mornings.live.