Wilde Horses
- Shea Weber with his best game for the Habs. He was shooting heavy bombs that cause so much pain to the shot blocker that you really have to admire the courage. It was not surprising that one of the bombs finally went in. He was deserving of a goal by this point. He also laid out some devastating hits, just crushers to make the Habs a much harder team physically to play against. He also has formed a superb partnership with Beaulieu. The complement of the skills sets is exactly how you hope to draw it up. Weber wins the puck battle and uses his physicality around the net then he finds the outlet Beaulieu who uses his skillset to use the open ice to find an outlet pass or carry it up. It's perfect. I am asking myself if it might end up being one of the best true partnerships in the league this year. Remember, too, that the Habs management felt that they were a soft touch last year. Well, no way now. The team did need this respect from somewhere. They got it in Weber, who will make the odd night the House of Pain for the opposition. When is the last time the Habs could truly say that? As in, not a George Parros type of pain for the four minutes he was on the ice, but a true "Oh man, I gotta go against Weber again!" type of pain when Weber plays 29 minutes on a regular basis. He lacks the puck carrying skill set of Subban of course but paired with Beaulieu who floats up ice so easily, I wouldn't put many pairings ahead of these two.
- Alexei Emelin because when you didn't have a goal in 72 games last year, you're a Wilde Horse even if you never saw the ice again the rest of the night. That's one. I say he finishes with two. Emelin seems to be laying out big hits again this year. I don't know if he is healthier or more confident but it is the old Emelin back to cause pain.
- Torrey Mitchell with the excellent camp that no one talked about. Mitchell under the radar was one of the best forwards at camp. He continues on with another contribution on the excellent Beaulieu pass for the one timer.
- Alex Galchenyuk. Those hands. Shane Doan was so frozen when Galchenyuk skated past him on his goal, it was hard to tell he was a life form. The shot should have been stopped but get into position enough and make enough good plays, math moves in your favour. Must not discount his defensive work either like just before the goal and covering for pinching defenceman. He feels like a number one centre on a good hockey team.
- This Petry beats the hell out of that injured Petry.
- Radulov should have a great season. Some of the numbers will come down to factors like line mates and power play time but with real opportunities comes greatness. He's here to prove himself.
- Double digits in shots for Gallagher. Should have had a couple. His usual bulldog of an effort.
- Lehkonen celebrated his second goal like he has 750 goals like Jagr. Two goals in four games. That more than works.
Wilde Goats
- Beaulieu on the shorthanded goal with a massive error. Just was taking the game too casually. Didn't concentrate on any possible pressure coming to him considering it was a power play. That set up a nervy third period in a game the Habs should have been up six.
Wilde Cards
- Zach Redmond suffered a broken foot in practice and is gone for six weeks. Roster spot open that one presumes is Barberio coming from the farm. I don't think it alters in any way their thinking on Sergachev. At least it shouldn't change their plan. They have enough D still that are NHL ready. You don't keep a guy up just because there's an injury.
- Mikhael Sergachev gave a glimpse of his skills in this one. Some smooth dangles where he moves laterally so well you wonder how he dodged the defender so easily. He ended up giving the puck away on the clear to the defenceman but flipping that high to the scoreboard is such an easy skill once you put your mind to it that that is the right play. Sergachev I bet doesn't make that mistake again because the Habs have been very good teachers of the value of telling your D-men that no one is 15 feet tall. It's a proven clear. He will get it for sure. He's going to be a stud. Amazing attitude with an unequaled work ethic and a confidence too that even though he is making mistakes you can tell that he knows that he's going to figure it out. The clear that led to the Coyotes first goal was another easy moment to correct. Tell him that puck has to go into the corner and never back in the slot and problem solved. Instincts like that are so correctable. This is just a teenager doing teenager hockey things. Such easy mistakes to correct.
- That delayed penalty was spectacular when the Habs held on to the puck in the offensive zone for 56 seconds while they poured in shots. A well-deserved standing ovation followed. Fans are seeing an extremely entertaining brand of hockey.
43-29 in shots. That was a dominating performance. The score line should have been much more in Montreal's favour than 5-2. Habs have taken 7 out of 8 points. Boston Saturday will be a bigger challenge in Boston than they've faced this year -- bigger than Pittsburgh in that it is a road game. We will get a better idea where they stand in the pecking order then but all signs are looking very good.
