Montreal Canadiens: Kostitsyn's Version 2.0

It seems as though something has lit a fire under the Kostitsyn Brothers in Montreal.  While there is no telling whether the reason is Olympics, injury, media scrutiny or just a will to want to be better teammates, the brothers have been playing inspired hockey as of late.

Remember the beginning of the season? Sergei seemed to be on the way out, unhappy with his demotion to Hamilton.  That shifted the spotlight onto Andrei, who struggled out of the gate with only five points in his first twenty games.

Fast forward to today's date...

Sergei's confidence seems to grow in chunks with each game he plays.  I'm sure a great Olympic showing didn't hurt, the younger Kos put together a team leading five points in the four games he played for Belarus. 

At only 22 years of age, Sergei seems to have grown up a lot this season and it hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates.  “Sergei looks like he’s gaining confidence and when he has that, he’s more patient with the puck and has more poise,” noted Domenic Moore, “It will only get better as our line clicks even more.”

He has definitely made the most of his playing time lately with five points in his last five contests, which also includes a +4 rating and a game winning goal against Boston.  Sergei's patience and skill with the puck are something to watch and he has solidified his spot on the roster.

Andrei, on the other hand, missed the chance to play in the Olympics with his brother but got some time to relax and heal from a knee injury he suffered in late December against Florida.

He had just started showing flashes of what he could do, putting up 15 points in December, just before the injury happened.  It took a couple of games after coming back but even without linemate Mike Cammalleri in the lineup, Andrei has gotten back his form.

While his two points in the last five games aren't superstar numbers, he has contributed in many other categories.  He scored the shootout winner in a crazy game against Edmonton on Thursday and he is fourth on the team in hits, which includes a hard but penalized check on Boston's Milan Lucic the other night.

With Cammalleri's return expected any game now, Andrei is looking like the player Habs fans and front office thought he could be.

The healthier Montreal gets, the better they look and the Kostitsyn Brothers have been a big part of that transformation.  If they can keep it up, the Canadiens could just surprise a few teams before season's end.  One step at a time though, the team and the brothers still have a long way to go.

Next step...a big game against the ninth place Rangers in New York on Tuesday.