théodore emerged as a world-class goaltender in 2001–02, when he turned in a vezina- and hart memorial trophy-winning performance with a 30–24–10 record, 2.11 gaa and .931 save percentage. he led the canadiens into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the eastern conference, and was a pivotal factor in upsetting the top-ranked boston bruins in the first round. he became an immediate fan favorite in the city of montreal. however, the canadiens were eliminated by the carolina hurricanes the following round in six games.