It’s all black and white for James ‘ the Wiz ‘ Wisniewski.
“Play defence and the rest will come.” This is the motto that the Habs newest acquisition lives by and so far – the words are ringing true.
In just his second game since being acquired by the team for two draft picks , this former Islander has made a difference to a Montreal team that is in huge trouble if they do not start scoring goals. Wisniewski did his part as the twenty -three year old scored two goals – the final one being the winner as Montreal defeated the Florida Panthers on the final night of 2010.
When the Canadiens played the Red Army thirty – five years ago on Dec. 31 , visions of hearing Auld Lang Syne being sung in the background of a NHL game in America’s southern state would have been something that movie maker Stanley Kubrick concocted. Instead , Gary Bettman has replaced Kubrick as a misguided director and a hockey game was played among palm trees . Re – arrange the numbers from Stanley ‘s classic film 2001 – A Space Odyssey and 2010 magically appears. Who says art does not imitate life ?
The Chesire Cat Disappears
‘ Magic ‘ is what Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier utilized hours before the game. as Maxime Lapierre ‘ vanished ‘ from the roster and is expected to re- appear with his former mate , Saku Koivu , in Anaheim. The move from the former G . M . of the Ducks , has reduced the number of Francophones on the Habs to a digit much smaller than the size of Sean Avery’s fan club. The French reporters in Montreal will be replacing the ‘ lowlifes ‘ as rioters much earlier than the customary post – play off win if this ‘ Anglo – trend ‘ continues.
The Lapierre – less squad entered their final game of a seven city road trip. In the movie Slapshot , the Hanson Brothers brought along their toy cars to occupy their time in various motel rooms. The current players of the Montreal Canadiens should have taken the cue from the three goons. It was an excursion into Hades as the team finished with a dismal 2 – 5 record. Toy cars would have at least given them a reason to smile. As the Hansons so eloquently stated…” We’ re on the road coach ! ”
A Winning Habit ?
Jacques Martin must have had , at the very least , a small grin on his face as his ‘ equipe ‘ earned a 3 – 2 victory over the hometown Panthers. The corners of his mouth edging closer to his ‘ elfin ‘ ears as his job remains safe for a brief moment barring another losing streak or a reduction of talent between the pipes. Carey Price and Alex Auld have been the reason that the team is not fighting Toronto in a contest to be Eastern Canada’s worst team. Auld , playing in only his fourth sixty – minute segment , kept his G.A.A hovering around 2.00 with another solid performance. Auld has proven that Martin’s misgivings of using the net minder less often than a bald man with a hairdryer are sadly – out of date.
The Habs staked the ‘ suntanned cats ‘ a two goal lead and came storming back in an Brian Gionta – led charge. The Habs’ captain played one of his strongest games as the diminutive forward demonstrated why he inherited Maurice Richard’s ‘ C ‘ . The ” Wiz ‘ had reduced the Panthers margin of victory to one as he rifled a slapshot past Tomas Vokoun from his position on the Habs’ point. . It was the type of goal that volunteer parent coaches attempt to instill in their young defensive protégés. Low , and hard. Ideally , that type of shot is placed to the stick side of the unsuspecting goaltender yet either side is acceptable as these sort of shots tend to immobilize the blocker toting ‘ net detectives ‘. Wisnieski ‘s goal was the first of his Montreal career and given his short tenure thus far – it will be many of more to come.
Scott Gomez , the inventor of the ‘ famous doghouse escape ‘ – took matters into his own expensive hands late in the second period. On a power play , Gainey’s ‘ miscue ‘ received the puck just outside the hash marks to the right of Florida’s goal. Gomez demonstrated why he may warrant a lot of money and also why Gionta and him are such good friends. Scott fired a shot / pass to the waiting stick of the Habs’ number twenty – one who was placed patiently just outside the crease. Tic – Tac – ‘ Stick ‘ and the puck was deposited neatly behind Monsieur Vokoun and the game was tied at two. A neat trick to foreshadow the ‘ Wiz ‘ s ‘ grand finale.
The two teams entered overtime desperate for the two points a victory would reward them. The Habs to end a three game skid and the Panthers – two points to aid in their quest to make the play – offs for the first time in eight seasons. The Canadiens took the perverbial ‘ cat ‘ by the horns and carried the play to the home team. The ‘ Wiz’ picked up a loose puck near the end of the final period and beat Vokoun with a hard snapshot to the net minder’s short side. One gola and two assists for James and it appears that the Habs have discovered the New Year’s version of Marc Andre Bergeron without the defensive lapses that the former Hab brought with him day in and day out.
If only ‘ the Wiz ‘ could give Andrei Kostisyn a heart , Benoit Pouliot some courage and Jacques Martin a brain. The Canadiens may just discover the ‘ Stanley Cup Road ‘ and dissipate any fears that the city of Montreal and it’s fans may hold.
Dorothy: ” Weren’t you frightened? ”
Wizard of Oz: ” Frightened? Child, you’re talking to a man who’s laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe… I was petrified.”