Tuesday, 10 December 2019

Game 31: Canadiens 4, Penguins 1

The Canadiens made a quick hop to Pittsburgh tonight, a one-game road quickie before returning to Montréal for a game against the Senators tomorrow.  Quick trip, quick two points, no biggie.

The Canadiens won this one 4-1, although the score doesn't quite reflect a closely-contested game.


It seems like the ship is righted, is no longer foundering.  The Canadiens weren't on their horse and buzzing around the opponents' zone like earlier this season, but that may have been due to the Pittsburgh Tupperware defence, whereby they hermetically sealed off their blue line.  Mario Tremblay brought some insight in the first period break (for once), showing the Penguins all arrayed between the red line and their blue line, facing the onrushing Canadiens, skating backwards like five Rod Langways.  The Penguins are very aware they're missing Sidney.

And the Canadiens responded in kind, they'd collapse around their net, I saw a few defenders sprawled on the ice à la Hal Gill, the whole thing had a faint whiff of Jacques Martin.

Carey is out of his November funk, seemingly at the top of his game.  He's flashing the leather, he's skating around his net handling the puck and dishing it off, he's making things look easy.  He's worth every penny.

And how about that Shea Weber wraparound goal, à la Larry Robinson, 'à l'emporte pièce'?


I don't think I've ever seen that kind of mobility from the Man Mountain.  Maybe he's thinking that he has to take matters in his own hands these days, that the team is a little fragile, that Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin are MIA and the offence has to come from somewhere other than Gally's stick.

Okay, now let's dispose of those dirty, risible Senators tomorrow night, and get solidly back on our feet.

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