It's only one game, but ...

Man, that was a satisfying win.

Playing on the road in a loud rink against a hot goalie and a team that won the Cup two years ago, the Canadiens bounced back from adversity (a slew of penalties early on) with a solid team effort.
No passengers on the bus tonight.

Guy Carbonneau rolled four lines and got hustle and non-stop skating from all of them. With the exception of a few instances of sustained Carolina pressure, the Canadiens moved the puck smartly out of their own end. There was close coordination, missing on too many nights last season, between defencemen and forwards getting back deep to help out.

With the exception of Bret Hedican's goal, which he'd probably like another crack at, Cristobal Huet was superb ... particularly during the first half of the game, when Carolina had all those power plays.

The Canadiens PP scored three times.
Sheldon who?

The PK killed six penalties.

The Canadiens played solid 5-on-5 hockey.

Carbo's personnel moves were brilliant.
Tom Kostopoulos was a horse on the third line. The guy has a non-stop motor and hits everything that moves.
Mathieu Dandenault played forward on a fourth line that ground Carolina down.
Patrice Brisebois played 21 minutes. Jacques Demers said he was the best defenceman on the ice.

When the game was on the line, Canadiens outshot Carolina 18-9 in the third period and 2-0 in OT.

Hedican's goal could have demoralized the Canadiens.
It didn't. They sucked it up down the stretch annd domminated OT.

Some dicey moments for his ultra-talented line could have plunged Alex Kovalev into a funk.
It didn't.
He hustled all night, as did Andrei Kostitsyn and Mikhail Grabovski. The line will score, and it will drive opposing defences to drink (Stoly anyone?)

Can't wait until Saturday.