Just a quick recap on a Sunday evening. After losing a game they probably should have won Saturday against the Ottawa Senators, the Canadiens came up with a big 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.
The Canadiens did what was needed tonight.
1. They got on the scoreboard early, and never looked back.
2. They played smart with only one minor penalty.
3. They proved they can work as a team and beat one of the better teams in the conference.
Still hope for the playoffs?
The Habs Two and a Half Men line were the key players tonight, with all three linemates factoring in on three of Montreal’s goals.
Max Pacioretty sandwiched a pair of first period goals around John Mitchell’s lone marker for the Rangers. David Desharnais had helpers on both tallies, and added the fourth Canadiens goal n the second period. Erik Cole did the dirty work, picking up an assist on all three goals.
Mike Blunden scored the Habs third marker, set up by Scott Gomez, who is proving that his presence on the ice is a major plus for the team, even if he’s not in the goal column. take a look at his Corsi numbers for the last two games to back that up.
Newcomer Rene Bourque did not factor in the scoring, but laid out four hits in 20:59 of ice time. His first hit on Carl Hagelin has raised a few eyebrows as a possibly dirty hit. Here it is, so you play Shanny.
Peter Budaj picked up his second win of the season, in a hard earned 28 save performance.
To fuel that always boiling pot of controversy in Montreal, there were reports that Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban was seen spitting in the direction of Michael Del Zotto. Subban denied it, and Del Zotto was unaware of the incident. Let’s move on.
The Canadiens are back in action Wednesday, when they host the Washington Capitals. Travis Moen and Tomas Plekanec both suffered minor injuries, but are expected to be ready Wednesday.
Three Stars: 1. Max Pacioretty 2. David Desharnais 3. Erik Cole
Advanced stats: Shift Charts / Head to Head / Corsi and Fenwick
Losing reaction from Blueshirt Banter
