NHL Player Safety has been cracking down on players this season and Montreal Canadiens agitator Andrew Shaw needs to take care and avoid suspension.
Penalties and suspensions were one of the most inconsistent things that happened in the NHL last season. Some players were getting off Scott-free for a hit that others were getting suspended for and vice-versa. Now that George Parros has taken over (former Montreal Canadiens enforcer) it seems like that stability is going established this year.
One thing that I’ve noticed is that NHL Player Safety has set their standard. If you do something illegal, you will be caught, and if necessary, suspended. They’ve already double-downed on Tom Wilson who is currently serving his second suspension after having had another in the preseason. It’s the right thing to do really. As long as everyone knows what is in their right to do, then the rules can be followed.
However, there’s an aspect about this that needs to be addressed, and it involves Andrew Shaw.
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The best and worst thing about Shaw is how willing he is to get engaged in the action of a game and throw his weight around. Good because it sprinkles a little intimidation around the ice, but bad because it has gotten him in trouble in the past.
Two prime examples last season had to have been with Connor Hobbs and Jesper Fast. Shaw’s first game in a Montreal Canadiens sweater was iconic for that fight where he was literally pumping up the Montreal crowd. The hit that happened before it wasn’t nice at all and resulted in a three-game suspension.
Then there was a good chance he would’ve been suspended again in his first game back from that after the Fast hit. Luckily he wasn’t suspended, but he received a game misconduct.
Shaw’s name is in the books. He needs to be careful and make sure that whatever he does is within the rules of the NHL. After what Habs fans saw from him in the preseason, there’s a chance that he could pitch in more offensively. Playing on a line with Alex Galchenyuk will definitely give him some opportunities to pot in rebounds in the crease. However that can’t happen if he’s suspended.
I’m sure that’s something that Claude Julien and the rest of the Canadiens management have spoken to him about already. The best place for Shaw to be is in the line-up. It would be really unfortunate if a moment of careless took him out of it.
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Do you think Shaw will lock it down more this season? Let us know your thoughts down below.