Wilde Horses
- Jordie Benn is looking like an excellent acquisition. So much so, I am not that certain why the Stars made the trade. Yes, there is the age difference. Benn looks so good out there though. This is an excellent defenceman. He makes just over $1 million. His contract continues next season. This is quite a surprise in my mind right now how Bergevin was able to close this deal. Benn broke up a 3-on-1 in the second period. He angled the forward on the left into a bad angle position and then took to the ice with his body to take away the pass. It was just so perfect. He has a great attitude about being in Montreal too.
- Think about how good Carey Price has to be in the Habs net. If he allows a second goal, he basically must feel as if the game is lost. Thankfully for the new head coach, Price has been at his best perhaps saving a playoff spot since the bye week. It’s a save percentage to be very proud of. It's 947. That's a big number.
- Claude Julien is for the defensive structure that is keeping the Habs in these games while the scoring has dried up. Coaches do defence. Talent does offence. A coach can help get the player close to the net but he can't take the shot. That the Habs are staying in these games is quite a thing and if they can ever actually get unblocked, they could actually look very good. I don't know if a lot of goals are going to come but I feel confident to say more goals than this will.
- Alex Galchenyuk is getting his game back. He's stick handling. He's dangling. He wants the puck. He believes he can create. I’m not at all sure why a player ready to break out right now doesn't get to play with Pacioretty and Radulov when the team cannot score goals well.
Wilde Goats
- The scoring remains an enigma. Gallagher one point in 11. Lehkonen no points in 17. Byron one point in 14. These players are playing with Alex Galchenyuk. Danault 0 points in 9 and he's playing with the only two guys really who are getting points. The Habs are running under 5 per cent in shooting percentage through this incredible run of goal drought. Under 5 per cent shooting doesn't last for a long time usually. We shall see.
Wilde Cards
- The ceremony could not have been more perfect. The Habs with a two minute montage of PK Subban's career including the work done at hospitals for sick children. After that, the fans took over with a standing ovation that left Subban with tears rolling down his cheeks. It was a bittersweet moment to see a player who loved it here so much feeling emotional standing on the blue line feeling the love of the fans. The more he cried, the more they cheered. The Predators teammates standing on the blue line moved into the shadows as the spotlight shone on the man who it has shone on since the day he was drafted and said "I am going to help bring the Stanley Cup to Montreal." That dream for Habs fans is now in the hands of others who also wear the CH with pride and hope. The chapter closes now and it was written by everyone with grace and class. Credit to the Habs organization that created a beautiful moment for a player no longer their own. Credit goes to PK Subban for always taking the high ground from the moment of the trade until this week taking his teammates to the Children's Hospital to show them why his $10-million pledge means so much to him. And credit to the fans who struck the perfect chord in their ovation before the game and respect for the player during it. One thing never in dispute --- The love of the game always comes through in Montreal.
