I can't remember who was prime minister of Canada the last time the Living Legend of Sports Journalism was wrong.

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Early Lester B. Pearson or late John Diefenbaker is as close as I can pin it down. I have no recollection of it, but a gent who feeds the pigeons in Cabot Square, near the old Forum, says there was one occasion in the early- to mid-1960s when the LLSJ erred in predicting the Boston Bruins would climb out of the cellar and past the New York Rangers into fifth place.

A lot of hockey has happened during the intervening years. The Legend has seen it all, analyzed it carefully and strung together an unparalleled series of accurate forecasts.

If I could pick stocks like the LLSJ picks hockey teams ... well, suffice it to say my retirement nest egg would contain significantly fewer shares of Quebecor World.

Sadly, it was not my pathetic stock portfolio, but rather coin of the realm I bet on the Legend's view of the Montreal-Philadelphia series.

When the all-seeing sage says "Canadiens in five", you can take it to the bank - or, in my case, to a bookmaker who, cognizant of the Legend's record, was only willing to lay 3-to-5 odds.

Well, here we are at Game 5. Champagne could be popped after the final siren tonight, but if bubbly is to flow it will not be drenching the home team.

Evidently, Martin Biron and R.J. Umberger do not read the Legend. Or if they do, they've used his prediction as motivation.

Another plausible explanation: Daniel Brière, who friends say agonized about signing with Philadelphia last summer because he had always dreamed of playing in the city where the LLSJ writes hockey, may have given an uncharacteristically fiery speech in the Flyers' room when the series began.

"Canadiens in five," Brière may have bellowed, brandishing that day's Gazette. "The guy who's covered hockey longer than I've been alive says we're going down in five.

"What do you think of that, boys? How about we roll up this paper and shove it ..."

Well, who knows what was said? Maybe the Flyers just held hands and chanted Om.

Whatever they did to prepare for this series, it's working.

Tom Kostopoulos scored 48 seconds into overtime of Game 1. The goal put that familiar "I told you so" smirk on the Legend's kisser, but little did he or we or they know it would be the only time Canadens were to lead a game in this series.

It might all end tonight. The Flyers can break the hearts of Montreal hockey fans and, more significantly, vapourize the aura of infallibility that surrounds a heretofore peerless prognosticator.

The Legend was wrong. What next? Herb Zurkowsky right?

mboone@thegazette.canwest.com