That win from the Montreal Canadiens was a *gift* after a night like that

You went to bed early, eh? Or maybe you just couldn't watch another road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially after what they've done to us before. Well, you missed a *belle victoire* – the Montreal Canadiens found a way to win 2-1, on the road, against a team that usually makes us feel like we're playing on ice made of molasses. It wasn't pretty, *non*, not with those shots, but a win is a win, especially when it gives you that little extra cushion in the standings. I’m telling you, it’s like finding a fresh St-Viateur bagel still warm from the oven on a cold morning.

How did it happen? Nick Suzuki, our captain, he got us on the board first, *naturellement*, at 18:39 of the first period, a beautiful setup from Kaiden Guhle and Josh Anderson. Then, in the second, Tampa Bay tied it up on the power play with D. James. My heart, it was sinking, *tabarnac*. But then, in the third period, Alex Newhook, with a critical goal at 11:07, assisted by Lane Hutson and Guhle again! Guhle was a force last night, eh? To win a game with only 9 shots against 29 for them, it means Samuel Montembeault was standing on his head, and the defense, *sacre bleu*, they were blocking everything, like a wall in front of the net. They had to be, to get out of Florida with two points like that.

This win, it's not just a win, it’s a statement. We’re 48-24-10 now, sitting third in the Atlantic with 106 points. That road trip, it could have been a disaster, but coming home with a W, it makes you feel good. It shows we can grind it out, even when the bounces aren't going our way. The team’s got that fire, that *petit quelque chose* that separates the pretenders from the contenders. We need to keep that going, especially with the playoff push heating up. You can feel the energy building in Montreal; I saw it walking past the Bell Centre this morning, that tower just humming, waiting for the boys to come back.

Allez Les Canadiens — Go Habs Go. This is Amélie Boisvert.

My friend, Keith, he's got the best breakdown of this game every morning — catch it live at mornings.live.