Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Happy Huet, Happy Habs, Reeling Rangers...


The above picture tells you pretty well all you really need to know about tuesday's remarkable comeback victory by the Montreal Canadiens. But, in a comeback such as this, the backstory is something that needs to be told, vital as it is to the picture that tells a thousand words.

Carey Price had a rather bad night and his team mates had a horrible first period, but as a team the Montreal Canadiens had a heck of a finish in them as they stormed back from a 5-0 deficit to edge out a shocked New York Rangers 6-5 in a shoot out.

The game occassionally verged on the chippy side, as the frustrated Habs began to play a more physical game, with Mike Komisarek in a particularly angry mood as he took a number of penalties including a major for pitched battle with the Rangers Brandon Dubinsky, who came out the worst for wear during the course of the game.

The 2008 Habs claimed a spot in their own record book by putting together the improbable comeback, the first time a Montreal team has pulled off a win after down five goals.

For Price, who had been living high on his run of successful goaltending, Tuesday provided the reality check that all goaltenders must face from time to time. By the fourteen minute mark he had been scored on three times on eleven shots, a red flag for head coach Guy Carbonneau that this wasn't going to be his rookie goaltenders night and the call was made for Crisotabl Huet to skate on in relief.

Huet held up his end of the bargain, stopping 19 of the 21 Rangers shots and shutting down the New Yorkers in the overtime and the shoot out portion of the game.

Saku Koivu put the game away with his OT shootout goal, an event that was celebrated in an esctatic fashion by the sold out Montreal crowd, the vast majority of which stayed for the entire game not wavering when the Habs fell behind by five goals.

The remarkable comeback will be the talk of Montreal on Wednesday morning, a serious gut check that was probably more important for team building. than for the two points gained with the win.

Though were sure that they'll take the two points, after all they may become quite useful as the season winds towards its conclusion in April.

Canada.com--Habs edge Rangers
Montreal Gazette--What a game!


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