Habs dropped their 4th game in a row, a 4-3 shootout loss to the Canes. This was their first game back after after a 7-day road trip to the US west coast, where they won 1 game and lost 3.
The game against the Canes was also Mike Matheson Bobblehead Night. And no, his nickname is not "RONA".
Turns out he does have a nickname courtesy of Mike Hoffman.
Matheson/ Madison, what's in a name? Close enough. And so, everyone now calls him "Billy" in the Habs dressing room:
Matheson has been sizzling since his return from injury and has shown why Hughes was so adamant about acquiring him. He scored 8 points in 9 February games (good enough for a share of the Molson Cup, whatever that thing stands for), while displaying a lot of moxy in his play.
He just seems to be getting stronger and faster the more games he plays.
If you're looking for speed, he's got it:
Physical dominance? Yes!
Scoring prowess? Naturally.
Not to be outdone, Captain Nick has found his groove again, amassing 7 points in his last 8 games.
However, he was held scoreless against the Canes. That's when we found out what it takes to stop him ...
Photo courtesy of John Mahoney, The Gazette.
Perhaps inspired by the performances of his teammates, Michael Pezzetta is also coming into his own, even if he's not a top line player. With only 8:28 minutes of playing time, he managed a goal and an assist against the Canes.
But wait, there's more.
There was this nifty aerial display against Carolina that thwarted a golden scoring opportunity for them:
Pezzetta may sometimes fly under the radar, given his limited ice time and bottom 6 role. However, he's noticeable in other ways.
We've all seen his fashionista side, when he arrives at the Bell Centre or any other arena, or is coming out of an aircraft or a bus.
He'll go the extra mile to express his personality.
He can also handle himself when fighting but, there's another thing you can't help but notice.
That's right, Pezzetta is a member in good standing of the Follicular HOF all thanks to a spectacular flow.
The last time we had a Capillary Maven on the team, he used his flow in suave motions that produced airs of grandeur, which invited a breeze like the ones from a dramatic movie scene.
So all of it begs a couple of questions.
For one, is there such a thing as having too much flow? Someone should ask Marty ...
Let's take another look at that whipping hair that slapped Marty in the face, but in slo-mo.
Essentially, why go with the flow when you can go with the overflow.
Which brings us to our second question. Who flaunted it best?
And finally, the Rags. They'll be in the playoffs, they made a couple of big name acquisitions at the trading deadline (what else is new) and they're likely to get bounced yet again in the post-season.
For now, let's see how they hold up against the onslaught of no-quit buzz saws from a decimated team.
LINEUPS TBA
Awesome!!! Eeeewwww… Marty totally ate some Pezzetta hair gel
.
