A touching tribute to the Ottawa Senators fans who added their names to the list of liver donors for team owner Eugene Melnyk opened the season at the Canadian Tire Centre. A heartfelt, warm speech was delivered by Mr. Melnyk's daughter, thanking the fans for their support and good intentions. Once a match was found last summer, most donors decided to nevertheless keep their names on a list.
What a great story, and what a beautiful way for fans to thank their hometown team for all they've done.
On another note, it must be said that nobody quite excels at opening ceremonies like the Montreal Canadiens. The amount of time and effort the organization puts into delivering a shiver-inducing experience is unreal. They change player introductions every year, and that alone is entertaining in and of itself. A look back through the endless history of winning ways, with speeches defining what it means to be a "team" or "champions" given by Canadiens legends keep the Bell Centre crowd quiet. That is, until the music starts blaring, and Michel Lacroix's voice begins introducing players one by one.
This year, it will be different. The loudest cheers will unlikely go to PK Subban or Carey Price, as fans have grown accustomed to doing. This time around, when captain Max Pacioretty is introduced, I expect the Bell Centre crowd to be in a frenzy.
With three road wins against Atlantic Division rivals in as many games, the Habs have a lot of reasons to hold their heads high heading into the last game of the road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and should build off of that momentum with their home opener on Thursday night against the New York Rangers.
They've found a way to get all four lines on the score sheet, and they're winning games in convincing manners (except against Toronto; that was 90% Carey Price). Everyone is showing up to play, as centers are supporting defensemen and defensemen are supporting forwards by jumping into the attack and pinching often.
Both goalies have looked fully in control of their capabilities, and fans everywhere should be proud of backup goalie Mike Condon, who proved once again that he belongs in the NHL. His poise, size, quiet confidence and technical abilities are well-suited to take on a 20-game workload in the big leagues, and he should be able to win at least 66% of them.
The Eller-Galchenyuk-Semin line is starting to dominate more and more, and it won't be long before Semin stops squeezing his stick too much and starts scoring. Devante Smith-Pelly is soaring on a line with Torrey Mitchell (nice redirection off of a PK Subban pass) and Brian Flynn (6 shots in yesterday's game!), while Tomas Plekanec's line is clicking. David Desharnais' line is continuing to feed off of their preseason chemistry, and it won't be long before they start burying their multiple chances.
The defense corps is looking steady, with Alexei Emelin having (possibly) the best start to a season he's ever had with the Canadiens, looking confident and demonstrating that he can get the job done when called upon. He played a solid game yesterday and against the Bruins on Saturday night.
Of course, not all is positive in Habs land. In my opinion, the Habs can absolutely dominate any opponent, routing them with 3-goal differentials in every game if they could get their powerplay working. Michel Therrien has stated that a lack of practice could be to blame, as players require a lot of repetitive drills in order to fully grasp what's being asked of them with the man advantage. While that may be true, it is not absolute. Too many times, especially during the 5-on-3, the forwards favored passing the puck back to the blue line for the defensemen to distribute the puck and attempt a one-timer. Instead, they should get more pucks to the net by carrying the puck into the slot. Causing a scramble in front of the net is worth the risk, as goalies will often have a hard time seeing where the puck is when the slot is clogged. Most players on the team can shoot the puck well, and opting for low shots with the hopes of a teammate picking up a rebound and scoring needs to happen more often.
With that in mind, I would encourage fans to remain patient for at least the first 10-15 games. If the special teams do not see a noticeable improvement over last year's comparables, it would be best if a coaching change is made immediately. The Canadiens simply cannot sing the same song as last year and look clueless during a 5-on-4. It cost them the Tampa Bay Lightning series, and could be the difference in gaining more points in the standings.
Going 1-for-14 is unacceptable, and certainly will not discourage opposing teams to take a few penalties knowing that the Habs' PP will not affect the outcome of the games.