One game does not a season make. Err, or something like that.
Maybe it's only a 48 game season this year but it's going to be intense and concentrated. Teams are going to play multiple games in multiple nights. That means there will be hockey on the tube practically every night.I like that.
First goal for Alex Galchenyuk, first point for Brendan Gallagher and first win for the second coming of head coach Michel Therrien. Habs beat Florida Panthers 4-1 in Montreal. AP
So the Habs who hadn't played since their loss to the Leafs on Saturday night were able to take advantage of a somewhat sluggish Florida Panthers team playing their third game in four nights, taking them down 4-1.
What a confidence boost for beleaguered dman Andrei Markov, scoring two power play goals -- the first on a two man advantage in the opening period giving the Habs a 2-0 lead after Tomas Plekanec opened the scoring less than four minutes in off a nice feed from Brian Gionta.
Markov and Diaz looked pretty darn good quarterbacking the power play, for this game at least.
What a confidence boost for the power play.
What a confidence boost for the players, for the franchise.
What a confidence boost for Markov's orthopaedic surgeon...
That's how you take the pressure off of GM Marc Bergevin in the Subban contract negotiations.
Subban 1 - Bergevin 1
Who will blink first?
Markov's second of the game restored the two goal cushion after penalties caught up to the Habs allowing the Panthers to cut the lead in half with a power play of their own. Actually this game was riddled with penalties but this time around the Canadiens won the special teams battle and that's how you win hockey games.That fact alone might just have saved the Canadiens a few million bucks with Subban.
That's the first time Markov has scored two goals in a game in four years!
No doubt there's lots of work to be done, but the Habs came out with a lot more intensity than on Saturday. So much so that Alex Kovalev seemed more interested in watching the game rather than actually playing in it.
We've seen that before. Well Florida fans, welcome to the enigma that is ALEXEI KOVALEV.
And who should score, one #27 to another but the new Alex in town -- ALEX GALCHENYUK. First of many for his NHL career in bleu-blanc-rouge.
Pretty much across the board to a player the team played with much more urgency and intensity. And Kaberle wasn't really noticeable and that's probably a good thing too. Hopefully the team can sustain this as they head out to play the Capitals in Washington.
Lars Eller was the one who took the brunt of the new culture that Therrien is trying to instill. You don't compete, you don't play. Ultimately he wasn't the only one that deserved the wrath of Therrien but with the victory tonight, hard to imagine the lineup will change against the Capitals.
It's going to be pretty interesting if the Canadiens can string a few more victories together and if Galchenyuk and Gallagher can put some more points up on the board. Very interesting.
Et la premiere etoile, da first star ALEX GALCHENYUK!!! Remember voted by the fans (not by me). But nevertheless!! Let the lovefest begin.
Enjoy it dude. And keep it up.
Follow moi on le twitter: @HabsFanLeafLand
Habs were dominant last night; you could see that the Panthers were purring rather than roaring...
ReplyDeleteI like that the Habs crowded the net all night - tough for the Florida goaltender to see which translates into more goals. Keep it up "le tricolore"!
Florida looked tired and at least the Habs took advantage.
ReplyDeleteLet's see how they perform against the Caps. Price was solid as well. You watched the game?