Full disclosure here – I did not watch the game live. But I did catch moments here and there while Christmas shopping. Well, actually, I caught the first period at a bar while family members shopped. And eventually caught the edited version of the game via RDS. So I’ll dispense with the traditional format while eagerly awaiting the main feature of the back to back double bill against the hottest two teams in the NHL.
- Habs looked good again but for one of those rare instances this season, Carey Price was the second best goalie on the ice.
- Alexander Radulov misses Alex Galchenyuk. So do the Habs.
- Jeff Petry has become Montreal’s best defenseman. For the time being.
- The Answer: Patrick Laine, Auston Matthews, Jimmy Vesey and Mitch Marner. The Question: Name the NHL rookies who have scored more goals this season than Arturri Lehkonen.
- Michael McCarron and Daniel Carr are making things happen down low. Carr might be running out of time to produce but who’s going to knock McCarron out of the line up?
- It’s one thing for a productive goal scorer to keep firing blanks while his team is winning. But now that they’ve settled into a .500 team without Galchenyuk, it would be really timely for Brendan Gallagher to hit the back of the night. If you’re still counting – that’s 11 games without a goal. And just one goal since October 24 (27 games – or fully one third of a season. Or Tomas Plekanec territory).
- Brian Flynn is playing his best hockey as a Hab.
- Habs finally do the right thing and give Mark Barberio some power play time, so naturally it blows up on them.
- Who’s the guy – without 27 around – who finally says enough is enough and takes charge on the power play?
- Shea Weber played over 30:00. In the first of the most difficult back to back games of the season. Time management a la Andy Reid.
- Carey Price was hardly overworked. When was the last time he had back to back bad outings? He should be starting in Columbus.
