That's right folks. When the Habs win and the Leafs lose on the same night, that's always a good thing. And when it happens as a result of the Habs beating the Leafs, there's nothing better. Okay maybe when the Habs beat the Bruins, but last night's 5-0 blowout on Mats Sundin night couldn't have come at a better time for the Habs.
Tying a season-high fourth win a row, the Canadiens gave the Leafs a third loss in a row and kept their extremely slim playoff hopes alive. I dunno, I still want them to get a top pick, but you know if they can keep on winning I guess anything is possible.
If anything at least the team is putting on a better show for its fans and that's what matters. Carey Price is playing really well and they're getting production from all four lines.
Mathieu Darche scores the Canadiens' fifth goal last night in the Habs' 5-0 blowout against the Leafs in LeafLand last night. Ahh, that feels good. Pic: Claus Andersen/Getty Images.
Even Scotty Gomez broke his year-long drought in this latest and all too rare win span. And although Scotty G. has steadfastly maintained his mantra that winning is more important that his personal stats, you have to think the guy must be relieved to have touched the twine for the first time since February 5, 2011.
In Long Island on Thursday night, Gomez got the game winner in a game that saw Max Pacioretty score his first career shutout. Leave it to Gomez to steal Pacioretty's thunder, but MaxPac didn't seem to mind. When Gomer scored, it was like the Habs just scored a Game 7 OT winner. RDS's Pierre Houde exclaimed with added gusto "Et le but....SCOTT GOMEZ!!!!!!!!"
The Habs bench rose like they won the cup. Gomez was hugged enthusiastically. And poor Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov. The guy looked up, saw that it was Gomez who scored then looked skyward as if to say "Oh no why me!?" -- rubbing salt in the wound that he was the goalie to let numero 11 break his goal scoring slump.
Turned out to be winning goal. Just goes to show you, Gomez's lack of offensive production is one of the keys to the Habs' off year.
Mazel tov Scotty G. It's over mon vieux. Now you can maybe start earning your keep? Pic: Jim MacIsaac/Getty Images.
So is it too late for this year's team!? Just when I throw in the towel and figure that they might as well give it up for the year and focus on getting that top pick, they start to play as a group and win games as a result.
I'm just going to keep on going with the reverse psychology. Lose Habs, lose!
And back to last night's game, I just love the way Ron Wilson calls out his goalie and his team -- no wonder players voted him the coach they'd least like to play for:
“Carey Price made all the stops and we didn’t get very many, so it made for a difficult night.”
Yeesh. When are you going to realize that James Reimer is totally overrated, plays too deep in his net, and on more nights than not, gets lucky!? Imagine, people have said Price is overrated. Haha.
As a HabFan in LeafLand, you gotta love the fact that in the pre-game Sundin ceremonies, it was all love and applauds for him and the Leafs. 40 game minutes later, the team was being booed off the ice from the same Toronto faithful.
Four in a row is somewhat of a feat this year for the hot and (mostly cold) Habs. But if they can continue to put together a streak of wins, and win one-goal games and not give up in the dying embers of the 3rd period, well...Might get interesting in March.
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