wright wrote:

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Key Lime wrote: The Habs managed to get 12 points, for a possibility of 14 points in 7 games. It's still the same line up with the exception of Huet replacing Theo. Huet keeps the Habs in the game; therefore, makes the players feel less tense on the ice and gives them a chance to win every single game. Abracadabra...the confidence is back. Sometimes it doesn't take much and the Habs are a good example. Will they keep it up? They don't have a choice now, do they? When they were in there horrible slump, reporters, management, and coached were saying that the main reason was the lack of confidence. It had to be something more than just that. Confidence can make you or break you. How can it break you? Look at Canada's Olympic team or just ask Gretz. Great goaltending can mask a lot of team deficiencies. With the possible exception of a quarterback in football, there is no one position in North American sports that can singularly alter the outcome of a game the way a hot goaltender can. Realisitically are the habs playing that much better as a team in the past 7 games? The Canadiens are still being outshot in most games, and the same problems still exist: lack of a second quality center, still a smallish team that lacks a certain amount of grit,no real offensive depth, and still needing another good puck handling defenceman. If Huet keeps playing at the same level the Canadiens can have a degree of sucess, but this team still needs some upgrades. Possibly those upgrades are with the team right now, as in the younger players continue to develop, but to really challenge in the playoffs over the next year or so Gainey is going to have to make some personnel moves to get this team better.

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