After a disappointing defeat to Toronto FC at BMO Field, the Montreal Impact returned to winning ways by defeating a rotated New York Red Bulls side 3-0 at Stade Saputo on Saturday night.

Goals from defenders Rod Fanni and Bacary Sagna, his first in MLS, plus Ignacio Piatti lifted the Impact to 36 points, which keeps the chasing pack at bay in the Eastern Conference.

Here are three thoughts from the game.

Garde nails his tactics

It’s evident that Remi Garde was prepared for the Red Bulls.

New York’s bread and butter is its high-pressing, counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 system. However, without the likes of Tyler Adams – who was rested due to fixture congestion – Montreal had a tremendous opportunity.

The Impact opted to cede possession to the Red Bulls, who struggled to bypass Montreal’s compact lines. As a result, the service to Bradley Wright-Phillips dried up. The English forward only produced three touches in the box, two of which were in non-threatening areas.

However, the Impact didn’t just drop deeper into the defensive third. Doing so would’ve allowed the Red Bulls centre-backs to push into the attacking half of the pitch, inviting more pressure onto Montreal’s defence.

Instead, the Impact stuck to their positions a little further upfield while occasionally pressing the Red Bulls player in possession. This led to a convoluted New York side.

The Impact eventually capitalized off two set pieces, typically a problem area for the team, and carved open the Red Bulls on the counter via Ignacio Piatti.

Garde entered Stade Saputo with a clear plan, and he’ll surely be pleased that it was executed perfectly by his players.

Piatti back to his best

When Ignacio Piatti is allowed to cut inside onto his right foot, then there’s practically no stopping him. He was deployed as a false nine against Toronto and was nowhere near as effective.

Piatti was admittedly aided by the Red Bulls’ rotation, as Connor Lade replaced Michael Amir Murillo at right-back. The Argentine tormented Lade, who was eventually replaced by Murillo after 58 minutes.

Now that Quincy Amarikwa is fully integrated into the side, he provides another option up front for the Impact. This should keep Piatti on the left flank for the remainder of the season, which will only benefit Montreal.

Lovitz the lightning rod

Even though Piatti and a few other defenders may receive the plaudits, full-back Daniel Lovitz should be singled out as well.

Lovitz produced a tireless defensive shift by winning all eight of his duels and was heavily involved in the attack with Ignacio Piatti.

Initially, Lovitz didn’t drift forward as often due to the threat of the Red Bulls on the counter-attack. Once the Impact pulled ahead, the defender was more eager to connect with Piatti on the left, leading to a few quality opportunities.

The fact that Lovitz was still defensively responsible only added to his outstanding display.