Last Night Against the Isles

We came, we won (though unconventionally), I got hammered. The Habs went into Long Island and put up a stinker for 40 minutes trailing the Isles 4-1. But a hockey game is not 40 minutes long and we decided to show up for the remainder of the game and play the best period of the season. Final Score: 5 Habs-4 Isles. One thing is for certain, the team does like to make us fans go bipolar on a nightly basis. I personally was at one moment (2nd intermission) pulling my hair out to another (MSG+ post game show) getting drunk chanting Ole Ole Ole. I hope the Habs will figure out how to play a whole game as I would like to keep my remaining brown hairs. Here are a few points I got from the game:

- We were were terrible, appalling, atrocious, dreadful, revolting, abhorrent in the first 2 periods. You'd think the game was being played on Halloween but every time I checked to make sure, It was Saturday. The 7-1-1 Habs were being demolished by the 2-6-1 Islanders. Not one line was playing well and our defense made Richard Park look like Sidney Crosby. This was the 2nd time in 2 nights I have thrown up in my mouth, the 1st being when I saw Mario Trembaly on the tele Thursday.

- We were amazing, awesome, incredible, marvelous, stunning, unbelievable in the 3rd period. I was reminded of why I had thought this game was going to be a pushover. If we had played half that well the first 2 periods, the score would have been 8-1 (The 1 comes from the softy Price let in in the 1st). 

- Pleky is out of the slump. Hooray!!! Forget about Kovy's 4 point effort as great as it was, what was more important was Plek's equally amazing performance. Kovalev is Kovalev and as much as people were hating on him, I was never worried. But Thomas is young and was pressing. He needed an ugly goal to regain his confidence which he got in the 3rd period on the rebound. Did you see his reaction after, he spread his arms so wide in the air, I thought he was going to part the Red Sea. I fully expect the KPK  line to start going Red Army on everyone from this day forward.

- Higgins baby! As much as Pleky was pressing, Higgins was as well. Carbo finally did what was going to happen eventually (sooner rather then later) by placing Higgins on the Koivu, Tanguay line. I now expect Mr. 84 to drop further into nothingness and end up being the star player in January... for the Hamilton Bulldogs. Lentendresse never belonged on that line and I'm thrilled to have Higgins back. He was playing inspired hockey after his goal. Best line I heard was that he played like his beard was on fire.

- I'm so happy that Koivu is our captain. That man just never quits. The Higgins goal was created due to the great effort behind the net by Koivu. I hope he makes the all-star team this year as he deserves to represent our team in Montreal. I also hope, however, that Kovalev, Tanguay, Markov, and Price make the team too (not that unreasonable to ask for).

- How great were the Isles retro jerseys last night. I thought before the game, it was going to be the only positive from the Islanders perspective. I was wrong.

- As bad as O'byrne was, I still prefer him over Brisebois. I just hate Brisebois so much.

- Laraque got owned last night by a rookie. Why are paying this guy 1.5 million again?

- I rather have played 2 terrible periods to only win it in the 3rd then the opposite way around. So I will happily take this victory and the two points in stride. Just try to imagine what it must feel like to be a Islanders fan right now. Oh wait, must kind feel like it did when the Habs missed the playoffs 3 straight seasons. Those were the days when Brisebois was our highest paid player and Patrick Poulin was an offensive threat (I just almost threw up in my mouth again). I'm just happy to know we have a team that one can never give up on as shown last night.

Go Habs Go