Habs Electrify The Lightning

6-3!

Once again, our Habs have scored over 5 goals in a game. The new mentality is setting in. Unselfishness is more evident. Passing is more creative. And scoring, much more often as well, as is the example taken from our recent wins.

Montreal took it to Tampa in their first home game since a 6-game road trip, and opened off the new year in style, scoring 6 times while allowing 3. Michael Ryder had two more goals in this one, plus an assist. He can thank Chris Higgins for his re-surgence, as Chris has been directly responsible for setting up 2 of Ryder's last 3. Higgins and Ryder have always been close, so who better than Chris to get Ryder out of a pretty bad funk?

The Habs are continuing to stun me on a game to game basis these days. The reason for me being stunned: they are passing incredibly well.

Playmaking has been the theme recently, and the Habs seem so confident with themselves now that they are letting themselves go full throttle on offense. Just ask Kyle Chipchura. He took an absoultely sublime feed from Plekanec to bury his 4th of the season into the gaping cage (gaping because Plekanec's pass was so unexpected that the goalie focused himself 100% on the prospect of a Plekanec shot). In fact, on the replay of the goal, you can clearly read Chipchura's lips as he tells Plaky "nice f*ckin pass".

Nice f*ckin pass is right! And more of it, please! We, the fans, are loving every minute of it!

With the youth movement allowing themselves to be creative, we can honestly survive as a team. No young forward wants to be in a defensive minded, dump & sometimes-chase system. They want to display their creativity, and the administration is FINALLY realizing that we have more than enough talent to set up plays and score goals, given the right tactical encouragement. Plekanec, Higgins, and the Kostitsyn's can be incredible offensive forces, and are proving it right now. Kovalev & Koivu already have proven themselves offensively-capable, so WHY SHOULDN'T WE go into a more speedy, offensive mode? Everyone is for it, fans and players alike, and finally, we are getting to reap the fruits of its labours.

And the fruits taste fresh...like strawberries on a hot, sunny afternoon.

I really miss the summer, but not so much now, as the Habs are looking like a team I can really enjoy cheering for right now.