Jacques is back - in Montreal


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MONTREAL - It is pretty well universally acknowledged that Montreal is the best place in the world to watch a hockey game.

The passion and energy are thick in the air from the moment you walk in and when the puck drops and the crescendo begins, the fans become as much a part of the show as the players.

Yet they still maintain a dignity that's missing is so many other rinks. This is a place that would never lower itself to slipping commercials into goal scoring announcements on the PA system.

"It's quite something," said Oilers winger and Montreal native JF Jacques. "I know some of the young guys have heard about it, they've never played there but they've watched it on TV and heard the fans screaming all game long. They know it's a pretty special place."

For a kid who grew up, like all Montreal kids do, thinking that anywhere the Habs play is to be considered a shrine, Wednesday's game has been circled on the calendar . for years.

"I was a huge fan, I remember watching the games with my dad when I was young, hoping that I would get there."

He made it to the NHL, but getting on the ice in Montreal was another story. Between two back surgeries and some tough luck, he's only played here once.

"Last time I was here I was a healthy scratch and the time before was four years ago, so it's going to be good, a lot of fun," said the 25-year-old, who'll be playing his eighth game since returning from the latest surgery. "We hardly come out here so it's going to be exciting, especially starting out with a big win in Ottawa and with family there.

"I know that the English guys love it, too. They love going to Montreal."

The fourth line with Zack Stortini and Colin Fraser has turned in some rambunctious forechecking efforts lately, so Jacques is coming into the game on a bit of a high.

"We just have to keep it simple," said Jacques. "With the talent we have up front, our job is to make sure we get that momentum if we don't have it, or we keep it if we do have it. It's going well for us right now."

NO I IN QUIT: The statistic was a rather humbling 1-10-2 when the other team scores first, but the Oilers are starting to show a lot more resilience when things go wrong early.

They came back to score four straight against Ottawa and rallied hard against the San Jose Sharks two nights earlier.

"In the first 15 games for us it was tough when we got scored on first," said Gilbert Brulet. "But lately we're rebounding pretty well. We're not letting it get us down right away like we were before."

Tom Renney sees it, too.

"We said between periods (in Ottawa) that it's going to be 3-1 and we're going to get an empty netter," said the coach. "The reason for that is we're going to play it tight, we're going to let this other team have to come our way, spring people on the rush and we would get a counter attack. That's the sign of a team growing up and becoming more mature."

WIN AND YOU'RE IN?: If it was all about wins and losses, Martin Gerber would start against the Canadiens on Wednesday. But there are a handful of other issues at play, like Deven Dubnyk's developement, Nikolai Khabibulin's health and room on the roster.

"We'll talk about that as a management team and a coaching staff and see what we've got to do here," said Renney. "We'll also get a feel for how Khabby is, how far away he is. That will hinge a lot on Marty's situation."

Khabibuin had his own net in practice Tuesday while Gerber and Dubnyk shared the other, a sure sign that he's close, if not ready, to return.

"I feel all right," he said. "I had a full practice for the first time and felt pretty good. I didn't feel anything. It should be ready any day now."

When he is ready, it means the end of Gerber's visit.

BARK, THEN BITE: The Oilers are 2-1, and showed all kinds of fire in the loss to San Jose, since Tom Renney tore a strip off them in Phoenix. But Renney says there are more dots to connect than Yell . Win.

"I think there's been way too much made of the Phoenix talk," he said. "I think you have a group of guys here who are very, very proud to be Edmonton Oilers. Proud to be in the league.

"They want to do the right thing. Whether I'm talking to them or not, this is a good group of people who want badly to win."

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