Funny What a Fight'll Do For Ya!

Well the title says it all, really. Pittsburgh scored first and the next shift Alex Henry dropped the gloves. This, essentially, woke up the team and inspired them to play. Sure enough, two minutes later, a steal by Sergei lead to Hamrlik's 3rd of the year. And the rest just came naturally, and that's how we played. We played as if it were the 2007-08 season.

For the first time in a while, it'll be hard to cover all standout individual performances. Tonight was a team effort, not only offensively though. The right players stepped up to shut down Crosby and Malkin. Goaltending wasn't half bad either.

Hamrlik play of late has not been the best, but he sure made up for it tonight. He's posted a -9 rating in his last 10 games but tonight had a goal, an assist, 3 shots and a +4 rating. You know, he doesn't do it often enough, but Hammer knows how to get some points. I'd like to see him do a little more of his back-door sneak-ins like at the beginning of the year. Another defenceman who played well is O'Byrne. +1 and 17:53 TOI is all the more encouraging to see from this guy. Honestly, from what he showed tonight, I think he is a better passer than Komisarek. At least twice he sent players on offensive rushes. For a guy who was supposed to be injured, Josh Gorges sure played like he wasn't. He's shown us a warrior side to him. He's come a long way from not being able to stand up!

When everything goes well, everyone chips in. Kovalev's hard work seemed to revive the old trio. How many times has Carbo tried this line together? Personally, I think the chemistry is gone and it's a waste of time. But you never know with these three. They did get a goal tonight, need I remind you.

I'm loving what I'm seeing of Chris Higgins since his return. He's reminded me of the Higgins that had 14 goals in 21 games way back in 06-07. Being the streaky player that he is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he becomes a regular in the goals column. It's those first few strides that give him the advantage. One on one with Higgy, you might be lucky to poke the puck away before he takes off with it. And his shot? Well, watch the replays, they'll do the talking.

Yes, this was a real refreshing performance that was long overdue. However, let's not get in over our heads here. Pittsburgh is a 2-man show that has now lost 4 of their last 5. This really should be a win either way. It's one thing to win a pretty one, it's another to keep it going. Next, the Habs travel to HSBC Arena to play the Sabres and, yours truly, will be there live in colour. The boys have a 2 day break and should benefit from the time off. They have a busy few weeks ahead of them including a long and demanding road trip. This'll be a test for the team. Here's hoping we can keep this up!

Photos: Yahoo! Sports