Memo to the Ottawa Senators: that bleu, blanc et rouge object in your rearview mirror is a hell of a lot closer than it once appeared.
Just as the prohibitive favorite Sens are slipping off the rails, the Montreal Canadiens are making an unforeseen, spirited charge for the Northeast division crown and more than likely the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
As surprising as it seems, I for one like their chances.
With the two locking horns last night in La Belle Province, the Habs answered the bell by edging Ottawa to creep within one point of the Northeast's top perch.
All things considered, this is still Ottawa's division to lose. Top to bottom, they are the most dominant team in the conference, at least on paper.
But you know the old adage. The game isn't played on paper.
With the Sens hobbled by key losses to captain Daniel Alfredsson and sniper Dany Heatley, the Canadiens have quietly crept up and are now within arm's reach of the defending Eastern champions.
A few weeks ago, any such notion would have been met with a snicker.
Wonder who is laughing now?
Let's not forget this was a team that missed the playoffs entirely a year ago. Most pundits had them on the outside looking in yet again, while a few brave souls actually figured they may scratch and claw their way into the number eight slot.
But no one figured this. No one could.
Somehow, the Canadiens are among the league's best despite not having an all-out superstar. No Spezza or Heatley, no Thornton or Lecavalier.
I'm not sure what it is but every once in a while, this team tends to defy the odds. There's something about pulling that jersey on and glancing up at all those banners hanging in the rafters.
Whatever it is, it's not a fluke. It's very real.
The Canadiens are once again Stanley Cup contenders, to the surprise of almost everyone outside the province of Quebec.
It's almost as if you can hear the ghosts.
You know the Senators can.