Nov 26 Role Reversal Favors Habs As Montreal Bests Red Wings 3-1 in Motor City

So it happened just like I said it would. I had mentioned on more than one occasion to anyone who even pretended to listen that the Detroit game could be the one that surprises everyone, including the Red Wings and that's exactly what happened.

Sure, I also said that the game against the New York Islanders should have been a no brainer and the only thing "no brainer" about that one was the Ryan O'Byrne own goal, but that's been beaten to death by now and I'm sure we are all as tired of talking about it as O'Byrne is of hearing about it, so let's move on.

Yes, the Habs, who were supposed to have had much more than a 1 goal lead against a team whose stars like Guerin and Weight are fading into the sunset and the next best thing is a mediocre at best Richard Park. On paper they are a much better team offensively and defensively and they made second string goaltender Joey Macdonald look great. Although the O'Byrne goal allowed the game to go into overtime, the Canadiens were even lucky to get that single point as in the 5 minutes that followed, the Canadiens could only muster 3 easy shots on net and no Canadien could beat Macdonald in the shootout, making this a laugher for the Islanders and giving the Canadiens all kinds of unwanted exposure on every sports show across the continent.

But alas, this has been Montreal's problem since the beginning of the season. They have bought into their own hype and believed that they would emerge out of the eastern conference in first place by divine right as they were, in fact the best team as predicted by all pundits.

Montreal took way too many games and teams, for that matter, for granted and this ended up either costing them the game, or giving their opponents a point if not two, in games where Montreal should have had everyone singing the Na Na, Hey Hey's by the 15th minute of the third period. It is no surprise that 8 of their 24 games thus far have gone to the shootout. And Montreal is only .500 at the shootout, so you can't defend this "strategy" by any stretch of the imagination. It was just a question of "When would the Canadiens realize that they have to work hard and smart, no matter whom they meet or they risk seeing some points escape from them?"

The answer proved to be Wednesday night vs the Detroit Red Wings.

Montreal went into Detroit after an embarrassing loss to the Islanders on home ice and perhaps for once, looked at the opposing team's line-up and realized the other side might just be better than them. A sub par performance on this night, and they would surely be made to look like a bunch of Junior Leaguers at a training camp. No, the Canadiens, for the first time this year, actually were ramped up for a team that they knew was better than them and wanted to prove that they could beat them so they collectively got their "A" game together, played a solid defensive style, capitalized on their chances, including a picture perfect, tic-tac-toe power-play goal and took a 3-0 lead into the third and shut 'er down. A perfect road game, and excellent effort and something they should have been doing since the beginning of the season.

You see, for the first time this year, it was the Red Wings who, like the Canadiens have been doing all season, underestimated their opponents and figured this would be a cake-walk, a sure thing. The Canadiens on the other hand, did what their last 23 opponents had done all season as well: they prepared to face a better team and were excited, prepared, focused and driven to beat them.

Detroit allowed Montreal to take the play to them instead of their usual barrage of finesse and scoring chances, with Montreal outshooting Detroit through the first two periods. Detroit, when it was perhaps too late, and thanks to an "on" Carey Price, did manage 16 shots in the 3rd, but Montreal had already battened down the hatches by the time this onslaught came on.

Credit Montreal however, for playing a solid defensive game and clogging the neutral ice area, not allowing the Red Wings any kind of manoeuvring space that so often causes gaping holes in most defences and also credit players like Alex Kovalev, who stepped it up a notch when Alex Tanguay did not return to the game after a huge hit from  Brad Stewart as well as Thomas Plekanec and Christopher Higgins, two former MIA's who came up big with a goal each. As far as the fourth line goes, well, they are the unsung heroes of this team, and it has been they that have been present every night and every shift. If the other 3 lines could learn from this work ethic, they would already be mapping out the parade route on Ste Catherine Street by now.

Let us hope that this was not a one time deal and that the team can build from this win. Let's hope that Tanguay's sore neck is a day-to-day injury which will allow him to face the Capitals on Friday in Washington and let's hope that the Canadiens take a look at the Caps' line-up and recognize the scoring power of Backstrom, Semin and Ovechkin as well as realize they will be facing their former goaltender, Jose Theodore, and decide that this is, in fact, a game they need to rise up for.

photo from habsinsideout.com

Tags: Carey price \ Detroit Red Wings \ Habs beat Red Wings \ Higgins \ Montreal Canadiens \ NHL \ November 26 2008 \ Plekanec