Home is where the loss is. That's the expression right? It seems that way for the Montreal Canadiens, who have dropped twice as many as they've won at the Bell Centre this season.

And thanks to last night's 3 nothing decision by the Dallas Stars...well...the trend continues. The team took a sick day today with a number of players still affected by a flu bug that hit the dressing room last week.

The Habs sit in 14th place in the East with just 21 games left before they can pack away the hockey gear and break out the golf clubs. 

Unless of course they can turn it around.  But if you ask Lars Eller...its gonna be tough. 

“It’s not easy to fix what’s wrong right now because it’s a lot of things,” the 22 year old forward said. “And it starts with every individual. We played awful. It’s the same ...

The ailing Habs have been given a day off.  Too many fans thought too many players took too much of the night off.

Bad sign when the Timbits kids at 1st intermission get louder cheers than the Canadiens did for the entire first period.

The worst was yet to come.

Randy Cunneyworth after the game revealed 8 players are battling illness including Mathieu Darche who left the game with dizzy spells and Tomas Plekanec who could not dress for game action.

Whatever it is, it is NOT "playoff fever."

The Bell Centre crowd dumped sarcasm down on the Canadiens who only managed their 1st shot on goal at 8;15 of the opening period, and drew a dirisive ovation for their 2nd shot of the first 10 minutes---which was also a dump in from centre ice.

Habs fans couldn't even get their angst up by booing Mike Ribeiro; the ex-Hab heard ...

The two Mike’s return to the Bell Centre tonight -  Mike Ribeiro and Michael Ryder - along with the rest of the Dallas Stars in a rare match-up between the two teams in Montreal.

It's Ribeiros first regular season visit back in la belle province since he was shipped off to Dallas in 2006.

Habs coach Randy Cunnyworth says letting the guys have an optional skate yesterday gave the team a chance to recover from Sunday's loss to the Devils and to recharge for tonight.

“We have to have everybody back in a good mind set,” Cunnyworth said. “And the guys need the break.  And sometimes it comes at a good time where you can reset the emotions and the  mental part of it and the body will follow.”

After suffering an injury Sunday night, Erik Cole left practice this morning in Brossard...but coach says he's ready to play.

“All ...

Assuming Andrei Markov WILL be ready for game action at some point this season ("I'm very optimistic" insists Coach Cunneyworth) if you were the Habs, would you write off the rest of the spring and tell your assistant captain to wait until the fall...just to be sure?

Intriguing question that may be a moot point if Markov needs well into March just to be cleared for contact.  While the veteran defenseman with the heavy 3-year deal is headed to Washington and Florida on the roadtrip which carries the Canadiens beyond the Trade Deadline and possibly beyond all hope of the playoffs, he will only be skating on his own.

Markov will also likely check in at the Florida clinic of his knee surgeon specialist, but assuming he needs 2 weeks of skating on his own and another week to be cleared for contact the Habs could have fewer than a ...

Erik Cole may have left the ice early from the Canadiens morning skate at Brossard but he'll be in the lineup against the Stars (track the game on twitter @RickMoffat and post your comments on CJAD.com's game story tonight).  Cole left the ice repeatedly against the Devils Sunday, eventually chucking his stick down the hallway toward the Habs' room in frustration.

Louis Leblanc also returned to the ice, fighting the effects of an illness that still lingers, but sapped his strength for the last few days.

PLAYOFF ENVY?: Lars Eller's father Olaf starts a playoff series this week with his Danish Elite league team.  Eight of 10 Danish teams make the playoffs.  Let's not give Bettman any ideas.