Mike Wyman is following the Canadiens' run throughout the playoffs. For more entries in his ongoing journal, check out his columnist page...

Well, I guess all good things come to an end. Flip a coin and have it come up heads repeatedly and it’s only a matter of time before it comes up tails. Folks who work in the area of probability claim that each toss is independent of the one before and that the odds are about 50-50 each time he coin gets tossed.

Hockey isn’t quite so cut and dried, but the law of averages did come into play last night. Boston outplayed Montreal for the second straight night and came away with their first win. Perhaps the Habs simply felt they were playing a home game, given that there was considerable red being worn at the TD Banknorth Center.

Montreal supporters in the thousands found that it was easier and cheaper to see the Habs play in Boston than at the Bell Center. Cars, planes and buses headed south starting at about the same time the teams did, their occupants laying a peaceful but enthusiastic siege to the area around the rink.

Once inside, their boos rained down on the Bruins captain just as they had the night before at the Bell Centre and the familiar refrain of Ole, Ole Ole was heard. So were small choruses of boos whenever Alex Kovalev touched the puck, retribution for the treatment Zdeno Chara received from the out-of-towners.

The fever still runs high here in Montreal. Flags are multiplying, Businessmen and bank tellers are wearing their Canadiens garb and dress codes have been suspended at some of the snootier private schools. At the public school where they are occasionally desperate enough to ask me to substitute, last Friday saw a fair number of students replace the mandatory blue or white shirts with Canadiens sweaters. Red, white and blue caps and toques, forbidden indoors, popped up in the hall.

During the last period, the principal came over the intercom, reminding students that the uniform was to be worn the next day. He went on to say that he appreciated the students’ support of their team in this special time but that rules were rules. He finished by mentioning that perhaps there might be a day where everyone could dress in team colors but not to do so until told it was permitted.

There are a few other humbugs in this town, chief among them mayor Gerald Tremblay, who decried that firefighters painted up their station doors with Canadiens logos and slogans of encouragement. Seems his honor thinks that it is a case of vandalism, pure and simple, and ordered that things be restored to their original decor.

To be fair, the city and its firefighter have been stuck in a protracted contract impasse, one that has seen the fire engines painted with lime green latex paint of one occasion a couple years ago and, more recently, had the municipal emblems covered with stickers featuring Toronto’s Fire Department coat of arms.

I don’t think Mr. Tremblay is going to gain any votes in the next municipal election as a result of his stand on the garage door issue.

One good thing about the Habs dropping a game is that tomorrow’s match-up isn’t going to be the last of the series. I’m being a little selfish since I’ll be on a train between here and Toronto while events unfold in Boston and was sort of regretting not being able to catch the final game of a sweep.

While Toronto hasn’t been infected with playoff fever, I’ll be spending Wednesday afternoon with a group of former NHLers from the radio days. I bet they’ve got a few things to say about the Habs chances.

On the home front, my son the Stars fan has decided he wants a Habs t-shirt. For once teenage peer group pressure gets it right. I don’t think Mac has even noticed that Dallas took a 2-0 lead in their series against the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks.