Over the past few months watching the Habs, I have noticed just how important it is to find the right mix for the lineup. During our bad stretches of play our team weaknesses have become glaringly apparent. Throughout the lineup the team seems to lack physicality. At times we have lacked primary scoring and relied on players who are unlikely sources (Lapierre, Kostopoulos etc). Goaltending which has been inconsistent which has in turn led to the loss of confidence in the team’s ability to defend.

And yet, with so many areas of concern emerging in a roster that many believed would be among the best in the Eastern Conference, we are seeing first hand how a team finds its identity. All season long Carbonneau has shuffled the deck trying to “accidentally” find the right combination of players that can consistently produce, leading to head-scratching lines such as Kostopoulos with Plekanec and Kovalev. As infuriating as these combos have been to those of us who watch the team night in and out, it would be fair to acknowledge that injuries have played a large role in this instability. But now that Carbo largely has his roster in tact (with the exception of BGL who is likely out for the remainder of the season, and Latendresse who is rumored to be close to a return), Guy is finally able to create the line combinations that will give us the most success.

I am extremely excited about the prospect of seeing Koivu-Tanguay-A.Kostitsyn play together for an extended period of time. This is what you hope for when you build a lne on paper. Koivu is not the most gifted offensive player in the world, but you cannot deny that he is a virulent fore-checker, and a solid face-off man. Add to the line the playmaking and skating ability of Alex Tanguay and the finishing capabilities possessed by Andrei Kostitsyn and you have a balanced, and dangerous top line. Each player provides something different to the trio, and each player’s waeknesses are bolstered by the strengths of the guy skating next to him. When these guys played on seperate lines, you couldn’t say that. Kostitsyn was dangerous with Plekanec and Kovalev, but none of those three were the type of player to really pressure on the fore-check, and as such there were full games when the line looked to be asleep at the wheel.

Plekanec and Kovalev themselves are also served better by their newer line-mate in Max Pacioretti. Max brings exactly the kind of speed and presence that the Kovy-Plex line need to be successful. Again, a guy who will work his tail off to get possession of the puck (and the size to make a difference in front of the net) in Pacioretti, a guy (Kovy) who can create incredible opportunities for himself as well as others, and a guy in Plekanec who is not afraid to fire shots on net (with the accuracy to actually finish the play).

The top two lines finally make sense which is exciting for all Habs fans to see. To be a dangerous team in the NHL you need to have balance. You need to have guys that can fill their role. The addition of Gregory Stewart and Ryan O’Byrne have also bolstered their respective lines. Stewart is absolutely the physical force that has been missing from our lineup. He is a guy who can fight, but more importantly he can punish the other team with hard hits and physical play. While Laraque can fight as well as anyone in the league, Stewart brings the balance that the 4th line truly needs. His treatment of the Dallas roster on Sunday night is the perfect example of a guy who changes games by excelling IN his role instead of what we had witnessed earlier in the year with grinders on the top lines.

The play of these new young guns has happened at the expense of Sergei Kostitsyn and Mathieu Dandenault. In a perfect world, I would like to see Sergei back with the club on the third line. Ultimately I think a line combo of Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxime Lapierre and Guillame Latendresse could be another powerful line in that Sergei is at his best when he plays with guys who can skate and hit. It is a mute point however, considering the log jam of third line players that Carbo will have once Latendresse returns (D’Agostini, Higgins, Lapierre, Latendresse etc.) It is always a benefit to have depth, but when a team has too many players like Higgins who does many things well, but none amazing, you can find trouble scoring (which has been Higgins’ problem for a couple seasons now).

It is amazing what having a little goaltending will do to a team’s confidence. Now that both Halak and Price have had positive games, the team can focus on the other aspects of their game. We’re finally seeing the team play full games (minus the myraid of penalties) and each player doing ONLY what they are supposed to do to be successful. I can’t wait for Tuesday. Oh the roller-coaster that is Le Tricolore.