"There was no reason to attempt to run up the score on the Leafs last nite. It was a shameful move to bulk up some aging players stats. Our Leafs will remember this crap & pay-back will come. Cujo halted the Habs futile attempt at this cowardly move that they will regret sooner than later. Give the youngster a break, it's a long season and there are more positives now than the Muskoka 5 had to offer. Enjoy the moment Hab (Contender or Pretender)fans Ha! Ha!"
Firstly, this ain't your grandma's hockey anymore. Every point counts, as does every goal. Goals are used to break ties in the standings. Exhibit A: Look at the standings right now. In two games play, 1 win and 1 overtime loss puts the Habs 1st in the Northeast, 3rd in the East in general. Why? It says so at the bottom: superior point percentage vs fewer games played, greater number of points earned in games, greater difference of goals for and against. Say at the end of the year the team is tied with the evil Flyers for first. No one wants to come up short because they were being "kind" to the Leafs one night.
Secondly, bulking up aging players stats. Look at the age of both teams and you'll find the Habs have exactly the same number of players in their mid-20s or under. Leafs have TWO goalies who are designated veterans in the 30+ category (Cujo is over 40). Habs have TWO goalies of 21 and 23. Funny how these kids are more capable of carrying a team than two veterans. Ever wonder why Huet was traded? Would it matter to the Leafs if they let Pogge play?
Thirdly, this notion of giving the youngsters a break... May I direct your attention to February 19th of the last season in a game against the Rangers. Habs were down 5-0. Habs rallied back to win 6-5 in a shootout. Determination, that's one thing the Habs have always banked on. And on the flipside, look at the game against the Sens in March of that season. Habs were up 7-1 and took a nap in the 3rd period, the struggling Sens scored 4 more goals. Carbonneau said it best, that he was satisfied his troops didn't take the Leafs lightly. They're a young team, give them an inch and they'll go the whole mile. It's a team that almost mirrors ours last season. The underdogs, pegged to finish low in the standings, yet surprised everyone by going fulltilt to 1st in the East and two playoff series. We've been there, we've done that, we know how it works. The difference is more than just goaltenders but the quality of the entire staff involved. I don't believe Wilson has what it takes to reform that ragtag group of players. If he can't make do with what he's got, he's gotta find a way to do it. Lindy Ruff is doing it in Buffalo. Carbo did it last year. We don't have any Ovechkins, Crosbys, Staal brothers. We got hard workers, and a strong group organizing it. The players love it, the city loves it, and the fans love them. What Wilson said in his after-game presser would not have sat well at all here. Finger pointing veterans instead of finger pointing yourself. Neutralize the outcome, not publicly criticize. Then again, public relations was never his forte... (Frankly those veterans he criticized were telling the press exactly why they lost, and did it better than their coach). But he wasn't even half the player Carbo was, so I'll leave it at that. The high of beating Detroit has definitely been grounded by the Tricolore. In fact, Detroit's loss to them is the perfect example of a team taking them lightly. Montreal, however, will not roll over. Habs still have things to prove to the world as well, since many, in particular in Leafs Nation believe the Canadiens were a fluke last year. And that's far from the truth.
Oh and Cherry, Dandy and TK are not members of the so-called Number 1 Power Play Unit. Third period was lock down, the guys were trying things out and having some fun, and Sergei was trying for a hat trick (Sergei is a young player of 20 who came up midway last season by the way, not an old timer bulking stats). Funny though, no one ever said anything like this when Detroit kept the peddal to the medal and beat up the Habs, running Roy out of town...
This is the NHL. There is no pity and no surrender. Habs fans sing Ole Ole Ole even when they're losing (it's a Go Habs Go type cheer). And there are still 80 games left to play, boys.