We're feeling... pretty good?!? Habs 3 Devils 1

"91 points is pretty good!"
- me, in the comments last night post-game

You know, I was almost hoping for a Habs loss last night. I have had a rant building up in me for about 10 days now that would have had so much swearing it would have made Quentin Tarantino blush. I was really wanting to let it out. But alas, what do our boys go out and do last night? They go out and play a very competent road game that has left me feeling... pretty good?

Maybe it's the beautiful Sunday spring morning we've got going here in Montreal, maybe it's the leftover meth in my system from last night, maybe it's McPhee's influence finally getting to me, but I actually feel pretty good for a change. After our last win against the Thrashers, I did not feel pretty good. Now I feel... pretty good! With an exclamation point even! Last night The System^TM was in full force. The System^TM won out against whatever lower-case "s" system New Jersey was throwing out there. For a change, The System^TM looked like something that could win you a few games in the playoffs. That's left us feeling well, you know, pretty good!

Given the number of comments last night, it's obvious none of you watched the game except sadhabsfan and me. So you'll want to watch these long-form video highlights. Allow me to guide you through them.



0:05 Penalty shot for breathing on a guy from behind and being a Hab. I see the tiniest little love tap that did nothing to impede anyone.

0:19 I'm not sure if TFS saved the penalty shot or if karma kept it out, but there's your TSN Turning Point right there.

0:38 - DarCHe! Go to the net and good things happen. Everyone knows that. Except the Habs never do that. Well, here you go. He's not PatCHes, but DarCHe is starting to do a pretty good impression. Love the announcer post-goal: "that came out of nowhere". Uh, no, Mr. Homer announcer, it came out of two guys skating hard into the offensive zone and the one without the puck going to the net with his stick on the ice. I could see it coming, but then again, I'm not a professional announcer.

1:14 PleXXXe breaks in for a short-handed effort. He didn't score, but it underscores what I felt was a good old-fashioned solid PleXXXian effort last night. Which left me feeling pretty good!

1:44 The Giant Mexican DarCHe (GG11 and I are trying to figure out how that looks) buzzes around the offensive zone. Sure they can't finish this time, but still, buzzing! Feels pretty good!

2:13 The Mexican American "swoops in" down the wing and drives to the net and SHOOTS! Praise Jebus! He totally should have passed it across.

2:29 The System^TM is in full effect in the defensive zone. Here, look at this screen cap:

Three guys down low covering their men. Two wingers down low enough to jump in, high enough to cover the points. Or something like that. I'm not a professional analyst like PJ Stock.

2:41 PFK sneaks in from the point on the PP to get a good scoring chance. PFK has been all over the PP for the last two games. You'd actually think CHokula had reacted to his critics or something. You know, if CHokula could react to anything.

2:48 If only I had a nickel for every time in my lifetime I've heard "and fanning on it was Kostitsyn".

3:14 PFK on the PP! So let's recap - PFK can move the pack, make the long stretch pass up ice, pass it at the point, make moves at the point, come in from the point, and blast it from the point. Sounds like a perfect PP specialist. Only took CHokula 78 games to figure it out.

3:35 DarCHe! Again! Going to the net! A cool mirror image of his first goal. DarCHe again goes to the net with his stick on the ice. Or should I say, his lightsaber:

4:05 Just another routine save by TFS, but he needs to at least be mentioned. Look at that excellent position at the top of his crease. I feel pretty good! about that.

4:20 And there goes the shutout. It may be my fault. I was emailing with GG11 last night and at some point I wrote "hey, we're looking pretty good! Should be the most boring 3-x win ever." Literally at the moment I clicked send the Devils scored. I felt the use of the "x" was purposefully not jinxing the SO. GG11 disagreed. We then decided we were sure it was Bob Cold's fault anyway.

5:00 Goodbye Devils, the playoffs won't be the same without you. They'll be more entertaining.

Look, I'm no idiot, I know this was only one game against a (now) non-playoff team. But dammit, we're gonna enjoy this pretty good! feeling for a day at least. Though I'm a little disappointed I couldn't rant. And I'm going to be on the CJAD Habs Show today just after 6 PM, and I was hoping to set a record for "most bleeped out words by a meth-addicted guest". Looks like I'll have to settle for "most tepid platitudes by a meth-addicted guest". It's a side effect of feeling pretty good!