WPG@MTL: What a beauty!

MONTREAL - There's no denying it. This edition of the Canadiens can give any club in the League some serious opposition - and some serious trouble.

The Western Conference powerhouse Winnipeg Jets found that out first-hand on Thursday night in a 5-2 defeat at the Bell Centre.
It was the line of Jonathan Drouin, Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher that led the charge offensively for the Habs, combining for three goals and 10 points.

In Drouin's case, it really was a career night. He scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season, amassed a career-high four points and a career-high nine shots on goal, too.
That extended the 23-year-old forward's point streak to three straight games, during which he has recorded three goals and nine points.
To say that Drouin has been on a tear would be a serious understatement.
"He's a very gifted player. There aren't a lot of players in the world with his natural ability," praised Gallagher, referencing Drouin's outstanding production of late. "The way he's playing right now, it's pretty easy to play with him. You give him the puck and good things happen. He's going to make you look good."

For his part, Drouin credits his success to the way his linemates go about their business game after game.
He considers himself to be the beneficiary of some solid work.
"We're just keeping things simple. We know we're playing against top players and good lines. If we counter that and play well defensively, we'll get our chances offensively," explained Drouin, following his second multi-goal effort of the year. "They're two intelligent players who don't force the game, and they're very smart with the puck."
Like Drouin, Danault chipped in to the tune of four points as well, scoring once and adding three assists.
He now boasts a four-game point streak with three goals and seven points during that span.

Delivering the goods
Rookie sensation Jesperi Kotkaniemi factored in on the scoresheet again on Thursday night, scoring for the fourth consecutive game.
It was his 10th goal of the season.

A stellar evaluation
Head coach Claude Julien was thoroughly impressed with the way his group went about their collective business on Thursday night to earn their third win in a row.
After surrendering the game's opening goal just under five minutes into the first period, the Canadiens completely dominated the Jets, outshooting them by a 53-34 margin at the final buzzer.
"We knew we could skate with them. They're a fast team. They play fast, and so do we. But, I think we're quick when it comes to skating," explained Julien, during his postgame press conference. "The biggest thing was we had to get on these guys quick. We couldn't give them space. It was important that the little details, they had to understand that they were going to play a huge role."

Based on the result, it's clear that his players wholeheartedly embraced the game plan designed to stymie a Jets offense loaded with firepower.
"This is one of our best games this year. This is a team we had a ton of respect for because of who they are and how good they are, and we were ready to play them," insisted Julien. "We respected them. I didn't say we were intimidated by them. But, we respected them and we knew we had to play well and we went out there and just took charge."
Then, the veteran bench boss closed out the Q&A session with one last emphatic statement.
"You can evaluate our team any way you want. Personally, internally, with all due respect, we don't care. We're focused on what we want to do and what we want to accomplish," concluded Julien. "Regardless if people compliment us or not, our focus isn't on that. I think we have a group that really believes in their potential and they see that if they play the right way, they give themselves a chance to win."