Habs Blog: We’ve Never Seen A Team Quite Like This Before

I've seen a lot of hockey in my life. Close to 40 years of games and playoffs. I've seen some great Canadiens teams win Cups in transition years, between dynasties. I've been fortunate to witness one of hockey's rare dynasties at a time when I could not comprehend not winning the Cup. I've seen a pair of Habs teams defy the odds and earn two very unexpected Stanley Cups. I've seen legends unfold, great goalies stand on their heads, and players of all types raise their games. I've never seen anything like this...not even close. [...]

Consider....an eighth place team, that is much better than we all thought it was, with a red hot goalie and a couple of snipers we at least knew were capable.

We saw the positive elements of this team in spurts, but rarely all of it together at once.

Consider....a team that truly underwent the figurative extreme makeover in the off season.

Remember when we said it would take this new lineup 20 games to gel. Then 30. Then 40. Then by the Olympic break? Final answer, it took 82 games!

And now look!

We love our cool under fire Jaro, our sniper Cammalleri, the excited and excitable P.K. Subban, that little Giant Gionta, Mad Max the irritant, the silky Gomez and the crafty Plekanec, Josh Gorges and his guts, Pyatt with his sound game, Moen in everybody's faces, Markov's vision, MAB the world's smallest cannon, Metro and his right handed shot, AK46 when he's on, Hammer on his last breath, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Hal Gill and his wingspan, Benny when he's on and hitting, Carey laughing at Jaro from the bench, Spacek and his goofy smile, Rhino when he's pasting bodies, and Moore, last to arrive on the team but the first into the corners.