Last night, Jake Allen looked like a guy who could help a lot of NHL teams.

Last night’s win over the Winnipeg Jets gave the Canadiens their second consecutive victory.

But more importantly…

Last night’s win over the Winnipeg Jets was Jake Allen’s first victory since October 28.

The veteran was really solid in the game, stopping 30 of 32 shots. He played like a number one goalkeeper and that’s going to be good for confidence.

That said, the veteran’s performance last night (once again) complicates the job of Kent Hughes, who has to make a decision regarding the three-man household in front of the net.

Vincent Damphousse said last week that Jake Allen has no value on the market. Could his game yesterday change some GMs’ minds?

I’m asking for a friend…

We know the drill.

The Habs don’t want to lose Primeau for nothing and love what Jake Allen brings to the organization. We’ve been saying the same thing for weeks and weeks…

But there’s no doubt that, playing like he did last night, Jake Allen has what it takes to help a team between now and the end of the season [insert name of Kings, Hurricanes or Devils, who are all looking for a goalie right now].

Anyways.

It wasn’t just Jake Allen’s performance that was noteworthy in yesterday’s game. What caught my eye?

1. Justin Barron was the Habs’ best defenseman last night.

I don’t know if playing against his brother motivated him, but the defenseman was flying across the ice.

He was very good in his zone throughout the game (something he sometimes gets criticized for) and he put on his work boots. He worked like crazy and was rewarded in overtime with a beautiful goal.

Hard to ask for more from the young man, in any case. When he’s involved like this, he’s excellent:

2. Gabriel Vilardi… He’s quite the hockey player.

The forward was acquired in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles, and at first glance, it looks like the Jets won the trade.

After all, the Jets got rid of a fickle player who doesn’t hesitate to do as he pleases when things go wrong…

Vilardi scored his fifth goal of the season last night, bringing his point total to 10 so far this season (in 12 games).

He only needs two assists to have the same stats as Dubois… And the Jets’ player has played 15 fewer games than the Kings’.

That’s saying a lot.

3: Josh Anderson is awake for real.

It took about 833 games before he was able to score, but Josh Anderson has finally broken the logjam.

The forward has now collected three goals and four points in his last two games.

Unusual fact: Andy is now the Canadiens’ top scorer for the month of December… Hehe.

Who’d have thought it at this time last month?

4: In recent games, the Habs seem to be more organized on the ice.

Martin St-Louis said it after the game: the club is playing well. They’re limiting mistakes defensively and keeping things simple offensively.

Good things are going to happen if the Habs keep playing this way.

Above all, it allows fans to see the club’s progress. It’s nice to see that the elements worked on in training are working in games, and we’re starting to see that effect with the Habs.

It shows that the club is maturing, and that’s good news. The young guys have more experience and it’s really starting to show.

Extension

The club announced after the game that there would be a day off today.

The team’s next game is Thursday night in Minnesota.

The club will then be on vacation for the holiday season, and will then play a first game when it returns to Carolina on December 28.