MONTREAL - If you believe in karma, you have to believe the Canadiens were eventually going to end up on the right side of it.
Let's count the ways:
From down 1-0, they managed to tie the game up on a great effort by defenceman Chris Campoli who chased down a puck in the offensive zone and created enough space for Andrei Kostitsyn to bury his ninth goal of the season. The goal was also assisted on by newcomer Tomas Kaberle--his first point as a Canadien at the Bell Centre.
At 1-1, Mathieu Darche, who's missed nearly every open look he's created this season, managed a goal on a completely closed opportunity. His 60-foot slapshot should've never beat Al Montoya, but managed to squeeze through a hole that didn't appear to be there when he put his head down to shoot.
The haunted powerplay clicked 31 seconds into the third period when Erik Cole scored on the team's most cohesive play with the man-advantage they've created all season; an incredible display of passing between Kaberle, Subban and Desharnais.
The Hockey Gods cruely reminded the Canadiens of their reoccurring nightmare, as they managed to blow a 3-1 lead in the third period once again.
And then, Lars Eller, who generated the team's best chances on the night--to no avail--set up the game-winning goal; Petteri Nokelainen's first as a Hab at the Bell centre, another 60-footer that made Montoya look bad.
Talk about karma. Eller was taking Plekanec's shift at the time, and the only reason Nokelainen found himself on the ice was because he came off the bench on a rare shift as a winger.
And when Hal Gill scores the 36th goal of his 1020-game career, you know you're going to win the hockey game.
Baby Steps
It wasn't pretty, but the Canadiens won a game on home ice for just the fifth time this season and they managed to do it in regulation.
For the second game in a row they came within inches of oblivion in the third period but managed to stay afloat for their second-straight regulation win.
No coincidence: Carey Price has played to his standard, the penalty kill has clicking at 89% efficiency, and if the powerplay was ever going to come around, this team would be winning games regularly.
16 of the team's 31 games have been decided by a goal, with the Canadiens losing seven between overtime and the shootout.
Knowing a powerplay goal/game would make the difference, Pierre Gauthier's long-term risk in trading for Kaberle is paying immediate dividends.
Put it all together, and the team is taking baby steps back to where they need to be.
Moen Hurt
You know when Travis Moen doesn't return within the game, something must be wrong.
Jacques Martin classified Moen's injury as a lower-body one that will be evaluated day-to-day.
It seemed Moen blocked a shot with his foot, and if he's broken it, you can expect an absence of 4-6 weeks in his case.
Credit to...
-Lars Eller for playing an exceptional game.
-Chris Campoli, who came back from a hamstring tear, in month two of what was supposed to be a three-month rehabilitation, to put in a real solid performance in just his second game as a Hab and his first in front of the home fans.
-Tomas Kaberle, for making the powerplay work.
-Hal Gill for the insurance.
-Erik Cole, for giving the Canadiens the power-forward they've been missing since Shane Corson played for the team. And he's much, much faster than Corson ever was.
