Carbo puts spark in downcast Habs

[Habsfan84]

Coach Guy Carbonneau assembled his players for a little meeting after last night's 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
His message was a simple one.
"He talked about getting back to playing defence," said Christopher Higgins, who noted the Canadiens have given up four goals in each of their last three games. "I think we're playing a little too much run-and-gun right now. The offence is going well, we're getting chances, but we can't sacrifice our team defence


"We gave up a lot of odd-man rushes and we could have given up a lot more goals," Higgins said. "(Goaltender Cristobal Huet) kept it respectable when you consider the kind of shots he faced. We gave them too many chances in close. The first forward back and the two defencemen were missing checks. We're better than that. We practise our defensive zone coverage all the time. There are times when you're going to have breakdowns ,but not all four goals.
"It was pretty bad," he added. "We were just lazy, that's the word for it. We had both feet on the ice, we weren't looking around. We weren't looking over our shoulders for guys that slipped in behind us. They have great passers on that team and if you're not looking over your shoulder, they're going to beat you.
"I think we have some offensive skills, but the difference is they don't sacrifice their defensive game," Higgins said. "They backcheck, they play good in their own end. They're pretty solid, all around"
But while the Senators improved their record against the Canadiens this season to 3-0, Higgins said the difference between the teams was small.
"We gave up a late goal in the last game (a 3-1 loss in Ottawa) and tonight we played too loose, but I think we're right there."
Captain Saku Koivu said the difference may be experience.
"They're a team that can create offence," Koivu said. "They're creative players with talent.
"They've had a core group there for many years and they have a lot of automatic plays that they know where they go.
"Everybody knows about their talent level, but the one thing I don't think they get enough credit for is the way they work as a team. They play well defensively and they make you work."
Higgins left Saturday's game against Boston on several occasions after he suffered a bruised foot. He was able to play more than 21 minutes and scored one of Montreal's two goals.
"The first couple of strides are painful, but once you get in the game, you don't feel it," he said.
Higgins came away with one good memory from the night after being part of the ceremony to retire Larry Robinson's No. 19. He remembered his father, a long-time Canadiens' fan, talking about Robinson.
"It was a thrill to meet him," Higgins said. "He's a lot bigger man than I thought he was. He must have been a giant in his day."