MONTREAL - If you happened to be watching the Red Wings on the telly on Monday, there were two messages to take out of their 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. The first is that it was hockey at its best, with both teams skating as few can from start to finish. Another is that the Red Wings could be the NHL's biggest secret.

While most of us have been impressed with the first-half excellence of the Rangers, Bruins, Flyers, Senators and Penguins, the Red Wings have been quietly going about the business of establishing themselves once again as the team to chase in the West. I mean . here they were coming into the Bell with an NHL-high 33 victories, yet hardly anybody has noticed. What's equally impressive is that only one of their 67 points was the result of an overtime loss rather than in a shootout.

And oh: have I mentioned that the Red Wings have won their last 17 games at home, only three shy of matching the NHL record?

So tell me, how do you explain Wednesday's 7-2 destruction of the Wings - and with P.K. Subban sitting on the bench for the entire second period? How does anyone?

Go into a game with Nicklas Lidstrom, who was suffering with the flu, and even an NHL-leading team can experience problems against a struggling team, but this one was off the map.

The Canadiens opened the scoring on only their fifth shot following some sloppy work by Detroit defenders on the lip of the crease - which doesn't happen often when Lidstrom is taking care of business close to the goaltender. Not on this night, when Rene Bourque's goal beat Jimmy Howard on only the Canadiens' fifth shot.

Two shots later, Alexei Emelin had his first NHL goal in his 37th game - and the rout was on.

Going into the game, Detroit head coach Mike Babcock had suggested to Detroit reporters that "they're (the games) all like this . it's 3-1 or 3-2 every night. If the other team gets to three first, you're probably not going to win, so you've got to play well without the puck and wait for your chances."

Was anybody listening down there?

The Red Wings didn't play well without the puck throughout the first two periods and, as it developed, didn't play well with it, either. They barely threatened Carey Price from start to finish, while David Desharnais was beating Howard for a 3-0 lead on only the Canadiens' ninth shot. That left it to Tomas Plekanec to find the net in the final minute of the period with the team's 11th shot.

Four goals on 11 shots on a goaltender who played well enough in his previous 41 games to help lift his team to the top of the league. Go figure - particularly since All-Star Howard looked bad on three of the goals after stopping the first four shots he faced.

What followed, of course, was that Ty Conklin replaced him for the start of the second period - and two shots into it, the Canadiens got to six first, with goals from Max Pacioretty and Desharnais.

You can forget about the two Detroit goals in the third period. This one was over when the Red Wings were no-shows against a Canadiens team that brought its very best to the Bell in this final game before the all-star break.

They can cherish these two points - and so can their fans who thus far this season have been paying major league prices to watch five-and-dime hockey.

However, both the team and the fans should understand it's only one game. Thirtythree remain in the season and this one-sided victory still leaves the No. 11 Canadiens eight points behind Florida and New Jersey, who hold down the last two playoff spots in the East. Furthermore, both teams hold a game in hand.

Bottom line: the climb remains steep.

rfisher@montrealgazette.com