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Cristobal Huet Shows Molson Cup Recipient why he's Number 1! |
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If you're the coach, you gotta love when you make a decision against popular demand and it works out as you envisioned it. Cristobal Huet was the story of this game. Best player for both teams, without a shred of doubt.
Now it's important to say that the Buffalo Sabres played an excellent hockey game -- a true road game. They were quick, simple, efficient, and they pounded Huet as they went to the net with great intensity and determination. Perhaps if they were playing against any other goalie last night they'd have broken out with a Buffalo Sabres type of offensive explosion but it just wasn't in the cards.
Sometimes you just know when a goalie's going to shut the door for the night. Well I knew in the middle of the first that this was one of those night's for Huet; the indication came when a puck came flying around the boards to the back of the net, and Cristobal calmly corralled it, and settled it for the defense by turning the toe of his stick to the ice and sweeping a pass. That one play exemplified how confident he was feeling, and you could sense the Sabres knew they were in for a long night after a 15 shot performance in the first, coming up with quality chances, and no goals.
Were the Canadiens lucky to step away from this one with a point? In a sense they were. If it weren't for Huet this game may have been close, but it would've been lost. That being said, they were hardly dominated, and although the shot count read 29-18 in favor of the Sabres, the Canadiens played a very tight game. They established an excellent forecheck and a real physical presence in the offensive zone. The Canadiens were really hitting in this game. After letting 15 shots hit Huet in the first they limited the high-flying, frustrated Sabres to 14 for the rest of the game.
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Some Standouts for the Habs from this one:
Mark Streit: This guy was all over the ice last night, made excellent plays coming back, and was arguably the best passer on the ice. His game has really come around, and he played key minutes in this one when Komisarek took a facial laceration from blocking a pass on a 2 on 1. Streit was playing with ultimate confidence last night, and when he does that he has the ability to have a tremendous impact on the game.
Josh Gorges: What can I say? The kid played his first solid game as a Montreal Canadien. He made good breakout passes, he kept his feet moving all night, and he honestly seemed a lot more comfortable out there than he's been all season. Too bad he'll be headed back to the pressbox on Thursday, as Frank Boullion makes his return. Don't be surprised, however, to see Gorges come back in here and there. It's nice to know if someone on the blue gets injured that the Habs can bring in a guy like Gorges to fill the void. If he plays more like he did last night, he gives the Canadiens a bit more confidence than they would have if someone got hurt. It'll be a challenge for the coach to keep Gorges' game at the level we saw last night...at least we know this kid isn't a lost cause, and with a bit of time he could turn into a solid contributor to this team.
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After Kostitsyn took a gorgeous pass from Markov out of the zone, he sped up until the offensive blue, downshifted, and threaded a pass to a flying Plekanec who put a Forsberg finish on a gorgeous play. Most impressively, Plekanec was on his second lap, beating his man down the ice for the goal. What an unbelievable effort by Tomas to get all the way back into the play in the Canadiens zone, help break up a good chance, and then in a single motion, beautifully transition back up to gain position on his man. Plekanec gives Higgins a run for his money when it comes to being a complete player...and that my friends is a very good thing for the Montreal Canadiens.
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Aside from popping the empty netter, Bryan Smolinski played a pretty ordinary game. Smolinski's effort level has been inconsistent this year. He's not doing anything badly, but not doing anything particularly well. There are games where he skates real hard and games where he skates less hard. My opinion on this matter is simple: If you are getting ice time next to Begin and Dandenault, you should be hustling real hard. These are two guys who never take their foot off the pedal, and they should be motivating enough to play with for a guy like Bryan Smolinski who's been given a chance to prove he's not a wash-up. So far you've been good Bryan, but you're in Montreal, and we expect you to be at your best. All we can ask for is a consistent effort...
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On to Beantown for a good ole fashion scuffle with the Big Bad Bruins. I think it's a safe assumption that Mr. Huet will be claiming the net on Thursday. We'll have to wait and see who starts against Ottawa, but if the Boston game goes how they usually do when they play Montreal, I wouldn't be surprised to see Huet in that game as well.
The Canadiens take an 8-3-3 record to the road, where they are 4-1-1. Divisional games dominate the schedule, and Garth said it best: these ones will play a crucial role in determining where these teams will finish in the Eastern Standings.
Gotta love NHL hockey! It's November, and it feels like we are about to witness playoff-caliber puck. ENJOY!!!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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