Habster:
I don’t want to toot my own horn but somebody has to………..here I go…..deep breath…….blow!!!!
Before training camp started, I told anybody who would listen that this skinny yet supremely talented Belorussian would be a player in the not too distant future……….welcome to the NHL, Sergei Kostitsyn as you’ve arrived and you’re here to stay!!!
Sergei has been slowly but surely showing the hockey world and in particular, Canadiens fans that he is the real deal with 7 points in his last 8 games. Overall, he has 23 points in 41 games and is a very respectable +8 which tells you a lot about the kids two way capability. He also leads the team with a 22.5% shooting percentage (9 goals on 40 shots)…..great stuff…….a playmaker who can score as well.
The Kostitsyn/Koivu/Higgins line is starting to gel and show some great chemistry with Sergei being a huge factor in getting Saku’s game going and vice versa. You can see the jump in Koivu’s legs when Kostitsyn has the puck on his stick……..he finally has another player who can match his offensive creativity on the ice.
It’s great to see Guy Carbonneau leaving his lines together for a few games especially with the playoffs less than four weeks away……YES, LESS THAN 4 WEEKS!!! I only hope he continues to leave the lines alone so they can build further chemistry.
Getting back to SK-74, it truly says a lot when a coach/ex-NHLer like Dale Hunter says that Kostitsyn is more all-round NHL ready than his former highly talented London Knights linemates, Sam Gagne and Patrick Kane…..huge compliment!!!
The future looks incredibly bright for the Montreal Canadiens with wonderfully talented players like Sergei Kostitsyn in the fold for many years to come.
