Hockey is back in Winnipeg folks and what a celebration it was last night.
Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the Montreal Canadiens because they put up a rousing effort, thumping the home team 5-1 in the process.
Montreal scored only a 41 on the PowerScoutHockey.com dominance scale, to the Jets 59, but were able to take advantage of their opportunities.
The Jets also carried the momentum, scoring a 226 to the Habs 126 rating.
However as the end result shows, games are not won or lost by momentum or dominance, but by goals.
Final Score: Habs 5 - Jets 1
The good news: Montreal won and are back at the .500 mark. Other good news, Michael Cammalleri is on pace to score 41 goals this year. Cough, cough.
The bad news: The Habs list of walking wounded continues to grow with Cammalleri and Jaroslav Spacek both leaving the game with injuries.
Game Notes
You've got to be kidding me Part I - What a sick goal my Michael Cammalleri. No, seriously, that was a sick. Grabbed the puck one step inside the Jets blueline, took one stride and whipped a quick wrister post to post and in.
(Highlights below).
You've got to be kidding me Part II - Jaroslav Spacek took a hit early in the first period, slamming what looked like his ribs into the boards at the player bench.
He went to the dressing room and didn't play another shift.
And so another defenseman joins Team Clinic it would seem.
Hooray.
You've got to be kidding me Part III - Michael Cammalleri, after scoring a beautiful goal to put the Habs up 1-0 in the first, took what looked like Yannick Weber's skate blade just above his knee.
He rushed to the bench, bleeding badly.
He went to the dressing room and didn't play another shift.
Hooray.
The Price is Right - Carey Price was in the zone yesterday. He was in the zone against the Leafs, for that matter. This guy, who established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the league last season, looks primed to top all of his numbers from last year.
As is always the case when Price is feeling good, he was playing the puck every chance he got, acting as a third defenseman and helping quicken the transition from defense to offense.
But that wasn't the best part.
Price's calm demeanor helped keep his team calm as they continued to lose important players from their lineup. That is a huge intangible. Huge.
Price gave up one or less goals 25 times last season. Mark last night as No. 1 for the 2011-2012 NHL season.
The Night of Pretty Goals - Michael Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec scored two real good looking goals last night
Real good looking.
Cammalleri's goal I already explained above and it was sweet.
But later, with the Habs up by one in the second period, Plekanec got a pass from Travis Moen, lost it, regained it, tipped it past the Jets defender, drove to the net and went roof daddy on Ondrej Pavelec from in close.
Sweet.
The Little Man Who Could - What a game from David Desharnais.
At 5'6, Desharnais is a player who has always had the odds stacked against him at every level of play.
What makes Desharnais successful is that, in absence of size, he has become an incredibly smart hockey player. Moreoever, he is one of the most positionally sound players on the Canadiens.
While DD finished the night with no points and a minus-1 rating, watching him play you can see how intelligent this player is.
The perfect example was in the third period where he was battling with Dustin Byfuglien for the puck.
Desharnais, realizing he couldn't win the physical battle with the hulking Jets defender, gained body position on him and squeezed the puck out.
With all the injuries, the lines are sure to be juggled. But once Lars Eller is back, likely this Thursday against the Flames, the Habs will have some interesting options on their third line if they place Eller and DD on the same line.
We'll see what Coach Martin does.
Settled - Well I guess we don't have to worry about whether Erik Cole or Andrei Kostitsyn are going to play in the top-six now, eh?
While nothing is confirmed in the case of Cammalleri, the word floating around is that he'll be out for about two weeks. That means that both Cole and AK46 should end up flanking Plekanec on what could be a very interesting first line.
Up next - The Canadiens will have a few days off to lick their wounds, before taking on the Calgary Flames Thursday night at the Bell Centre in their home opener.
So what did you think of the game? Highlights? Low lights? Did you like what you saw from the Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Max Pacioretty line? What about the Jets?
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Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
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