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Michel Therrien after 3 – 2 OT loss to Buffalo

It’s hard to be really negative this year against the coach or the team in general. They certainly are not perfect, but hey… nobody else is, nobody else will be and if you expect perfection.. you’re out to lunch.

It’s not a secret that it’s a different looking team this year. At this stage in the season seeing Montreal fighting for that 1st spot in the East I must say I’m so so surprised. For a while I have to admit I just thought it would start to fade a bit.

For the first time in several years I feel as though this lineup really does have some depth, some grit, some willingness to play hard and not give up until the last buzzer.

When Bourque and Diaz went down to injury I thought they would start to slip… and then Prust got hurt I figured here it is. One of the key players in the very heart of the team is gone.

But, they just keep finding ways to win or to grab a point. And you know what, it’s not always pretty. No, it’s not. But it’s not supposed to always be pretty.

Sometimes they lose leads, but unlike the teams of yesteryear, they don’t fold. They keep playing… even without Bourque, Diaz, Prust… they keep playing and grab a point or grab a win.

There’s a saying that goes “good teams find a way to win”. Well, I think we’ve got a good team on our hands. A good team with some key players who are still quite young and more youth who will come of age in the lineup.

Something that was preached is “no excuses”, and I hear Therrien talk over and over again about “effort”. Working hard.

It’s hard for me to be negative about this team, it really is. When compared to other lineups of the last 5 to 10 years, this lineup has a little spark. That wasn’t a reference to Gallagher… but, there’s a spark plug for sure.

The management is different, the coaching is different, the attitude is different and they’re a different looking team on the ice. Well done.

Here’s Therrien’s post game interview. There isn’t much to grill him about really, expect maybe missing the net or that bad penalty by PK. But come on, really, that happens to everyone every now and then.

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All eyes on this young guy. Quite happy to see Jarred in the Habs organization.

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Collberg is one of those guys to look out for, it’s quite possible that he’ll turn out to be a steal in last year’s draft. He can score goals and set ‘em up.

Look forward to continue seeing how he progresses.

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Enjoy!

Oh, and just to say, it was so much easier for Julien to talk about the Habs embellishing than it was talking about Chara’s 17 minutes in penalties or that they led going in the 3rd and lost the game or that they were removed from 1st place in the East by the Habs… in their own building.. yes yes… this was much easier and better to eat and regurgitate for the media mongers.

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But, if they play hockey… skate  hard, pass the puck throw some hits, don’t give up, play the system and be patient… they can win. And I believe they can win many games.

Quite impressed with the way the players are showing up every night. I never would have guessed at the start of the season that Therrien and the coaching staff would have the success that they have had in changing the look of this team. Having them play ’til the end on just about every night. This was something that plagued the Habs in recent years.

I also never would have thought that Galchenyuk and Gallagher would have such a huge impact.

Especially Gallagher!! Seems like EVERY time he’s on the ice and has the puck it’s dangerous for the opposition. Pretty much every team hates him just a little and he continues to go to the net.

In tonight’s win against the Bruins, we saw a team that not long ago might have slowly fizzled in that 3rd period but instead they came back and scored 2 winning the game.

They keep working and they keep finding ways to win, which is why they currently sit a top the standings in the East!

Habs Standings – 03-03-2013

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Thrower’s numbers so far:
http://www.whl.ca/roster/show/id/445

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