With the support of the Catholic Church, how can the Montreal Canadiens lose?

It's one of those things that always amazes anyone beyond the Quebec borders.

But it seems perfectly normal here.

When the Canadiens are in the playoffs, everyone gets behind them - even the forces on high.

As part of the Catholic Church of Montreal's annual campaign, you can light a virtual candle to help boost the Habs' hopes for $1, with the proceeds going to the campaign to help maintain the church's buildings, and support various other activities.

All the information is here.

Why? Simple.

"In the Catholic tradition, light is a symbol of hope. And because Habs fans also have faith in their team during the playoffs, we decided to connect the two types of faith that most enliven Quebecers," the website said.

Of course, contributions of $10 or more get a tax receipt.

The Church is committed to this quest. In 2012, they placed some clever newspaper ads throwing their support behind Quebec's other religion.

Now, let's be clear, the Church makes no guarantees whatsoever. Certainly it's not their first campaign – and the Canadiens haven't won the Cup since 1993.

The candles definitely flickered and the faith wavered Wednesday night, because Max Pacioretty had a tremendous opportunity in overtime – and hit the post.

But the rather obscure Dale Weise, who scored his first career playoff goal in overtime to give the Canadians a victory in Game 1 in Tampa, probably lit a few today.