Poll Result: Your Second Line Right Winger For The Montreal Canadiens Is…
We have already picked a top line and a second line center in our ballot to choose the Montreal Canadiens lineup for next season, and we voted on the second line right winger in the past two days, and selected Brendan Gallagher to join Tomas Plekanec on the second line.
We now have a lineup that looks like:
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Parenteau
********** – Plekanec – Gallagher
********** – ************ – **********
********** – ************ – **********
********** – **********
********** – **********
********** – **********
Gallagher makes a great case to play on the top line with Desharnais and Pacioretty, so he was almost unanimously selected to join Plekanec on the Habs second line next season. The full results of the poll in which 354 of you took part was:
Gallagher: 281 votes (80%)
Sekac 59 votes (17%)
Andrighetto 9 votes (2%)
Scherbak 5 votes (1%)
Gallagher has only played two seasons in the NHL this far, but is already starting to make a name for himself as a guy who can play in all situations. Not only that, but he is also becoming the player that Michel Therrien uses to try and jumpstart a player who is struggling.
Apr 22, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Kristers Gudlevskis (37) makes a save against Montreal Canadiens right wing Brendan Gallagher (11) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Gallagher started last season with Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk, but when first line forwards David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty could not score, Gallagher was moved up to try and get them going. It worked for much of the season, but when Thomas Vanek was acquired and couldn’t click with Plekanec, it was Gallagher who was moved down to Plekanec’s line to get the center a compatible linemate.
The “advanced” stats back up the claim that Gallagher can play with any linemates. Almost every single skater on the Canadiens had a better Corsi for percentage when they were on the ice with Gallagher as opposed to being on a line without the plucky winger.
Gallagher had the best Corsi percentage of all Canadiens skaters at 52 percent, proof of an all around player who not only creates offense, but drives possession by getting the puck out of his own end quickly and efficiently.
At just 22 years old, you could make an argument that Gallagher is already the most important player on the Montreal Canadiens, and he would be a fantastic fit on a two way line with Plekanec next season.