Call of the Wilde: Habs clutch win comes from camaraderie, caring and commitment

Habs on big 2-1 victory over Tampa Parenteau, Subban, Beaulieu, Therrien and Pacioretty on the Canadiens' Game Five win in Montreal Saturday.

Wilde Horses

- Apart from one late blunder trying to clear the zone, Jeff Petry was - and is - outstanding. Petry is a number 2 D. He will command free agent money like a 2 D in a thin year. Only one GM can give him eight years. Now I am not saying for sure to make that offer but it is sure something to think about seriously because Petry is bloody fantastic. His vision. His patience. His shot. His smarts. His read of the play. I could go on... but I have  lot of other guys to mention.

- P.A. Parenteau was having his best game of the playoffs before he scored. His goal was well deserved and it often happens that when a player is great he ends up being the hero.

- PK Subban with 26:07 on the ice and quarterbacking the game better and better. He also beat his man to feed Parenteau for the win. Subban's smarts on the ice matches his amazing athletic ability. He has more in him. He is already arguably hockey's best D and he still has more in him. Imagine.

- Devante Smith Pelly with a goal on a rocket shot. He was also throwing huge weight around to set the tone of the game. He plays a playoff game. He could be a get-you-through guy when in the get-you-to phase he does not look like he can make a difference. He made a difference.

- Carey Price. Head coach Michel Therrien said after the game that Price is the best player in the league. The save off of Filppula was really as good as a save can be.

- Nathan Beaulieu was solid in being thrown into the power keg situation. Hard to enter a series midway and he was strong. He was relaxed and able.

- Tom Gilbert. Beaulieu also allowed Gilbert to get back to his more natural side and he was stronger there. Gilbert was strong. The entire D corps was strong.

- Lars Eller just quietly goes about winning puck battles all night. Completely under the radar again. That's his plight.

- David Desharnais competed better and won more pucks than he has recently. That's a great sign for the Habs. Desharnais' line struggled at times defensively getting hemmed in, but no foul.

- Brendan Gallagher's head snaps back at least five times per game and still he just keeps on coming. The kid won't back down. It does not matter who or what or where, he won't back down.

Wilde Goats

- Oh I don't think so.

Wilde Cards

- Momentum is an unusual thing. He sometimes is a measure of who has good vibes running through their minds. For example, the Lightning are on the verge of all of their good vibes going south. That excitement of, "oh yes we are up three" turns into, "oh no don't tell me we are going to be one of the only teams ever to blow this."

Conversely, the Habs are feeling the good vibes charge through them now. But this series has not had that moment that many do where you just know who will win. Seen it so many times: Price hurt and Zibanejad scores and really you totally know it is over, or Saku Koivu takes a stick from Justin Williams in the eye and you know it is over.

That moment does not always come and so far you just can't get a feel even after five games that one has the upper hand over the other. For the Habs though, that they even have a hand in the game is the thing: they're alive; they're fighting; they're getting a chance to show the character they talk about so often. A lot of players after game five simply said we just want to keep hanging out with each other and keep going. That may sound kind of like something all teams would say, but you know the truth is it is not. Many teams don't really care that much about things like that.

Let's now go to Tuesday and see if things like that mean something. It has always been my hope in life that camaraderie, friendship, commitment, caring and team translates into something special. We shall see because they are two-fourths of the way through trying to do the nearly impossible - to become the fifth team of 181 to come back from 3-0. See you, Tuesday. Never seen a team talk so much about character. Let's see if they can show yet more then.