Habs Off to a 5-1 Start
A Look Back at the First Six Games of the Season
by Robert Ziukas (Contributor)
Hockey, the true sport of Canadians. A sport that unifies Montreal.
Montreal at Toronto, 4-3 win for Montreal. This was Montreal’s first season opening win against the Leafs in five prior attempts. The game was thought to go into overtime after the puck bounced off Lars Eller and into Montreal’s net. However, as luck would have it, Thomas Plekanec threw the puck at the net in the next rush to have it bounce off a Toronto player’s skate and into the net. This made the score 4-3 with 43 seconds remaining in the third period to close out the game.
Montreal at Washington, 2-1 shootout win for Montreal. Montreal played a terrible first
period and trailed 1-0 until the third period where Thomas Plekanec sniped the puck to tie up the match. In the shootout Gallagher scored in the fifth round to win the game.
Montreal at Philadelphia, 4-3 shootout win for Montreal. Montreal played another awful first period to go down 2-0. Montreal then conceded another goal in the second period. However, the third period belonged to Montreal! In a span of 7 minutes and 35 seconds, Subban, Plekanec, and Galchenyuk scored to tie up the match with a little bit more than five minutes left in the game. Then in the shootout Parenteau scored to complete the third come from behind victory for the Habs in four nights.
Montreal at Tampa Bay, 7-1 loss for Montreal. The Canadiens were only down 4-1 going into the third period. Montreal may have won when down three goals going into the third in the previous game, but that wasn’t the case this time around…
Boston at Montreal, 6-4 win for Montreal. The Habs were doing what they do best this season and trailed 3-2 mid-way through the 2nd period. The rookie Jiri
Sekac scored his first National Hockey league goal to tie the game up with less than two minutes left in the second period, while 1 minute and 25 seconds later Parenteau scored to put Montreal ahead. The Habs held on for the satisfying win.
Colorado at Montreal, 3-2 win for Montreal. Montreal trailed in the first period (are you surprised?)
1-0, but in the second period they scored three in order to hold onto the victory. Subban scored two of the three and had his most offensive game of the season.
A season is not made in six games, and here in Montreal we’re known for overreacting to our Habs, but it seems that Montreal has really used their long playoff run to encourage the team and play a more aggressive fore-checking game. In Montreal’s five wins so far, they have trailed in all those five games, yet they have found ways to win! Only time will tell if Montreal can continue with the confidence they’re showing in order to pick up some wins, or if their bubble will burst at some point in the season due to the tremendous pressure we put them under.