Jeff Petry of the Montreal Canadiens Has Exceeded Expectations
By Collin Jones
Jeff Petry of the Montreal Canadiens has contributed a great deal through their six-game road trip. The only thing Habs fans can hope for is that his production, both offensively and defensively, continues throughout the remainder of the season.
That’s right Montreal Canadiens fans.
Shea Weber is of no concern for the moment. The stand-out defensemen so far in the six-game road trip for the Montreal Canadiens has been Jeff Petry. On both the offensive side of things and the defensive.
His speed and awareness, offensively, was on display Monday night when he put home the game-winner against the Dallas Stars in overtime. He is on pace for 16 goals and 59 points this season, and those numbers are impressive for a defensemen who is said to be, at best, a third or fourth guy. But it’s not only his offense that has impressed me, As Petry’s play away from the puck is equally responsible for his performance this season.
The 31-year-old’s defense has stepped up in the last six games. The first thing I’ve noticed is that he forces the opposition to give up the puck when they enter the neutral zone. Additionally, he’s much less inclined to play conservatively. Petry pressures them immediately, forcing the opposition to dump the puck, thus allowing the second defensemen to retrieve the puck for a smooth transition up-ice.
He hadn’t been as aggressive until the Montreal Canadiens took to the road, and it’s worked like a charm. Not only is his aggressiveness through the neutral zone incredibly effective, but he hip-checks along the half-wall as the opposition enters the offensive zone.
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The bottom line: Petry finishes plays.
Jeff Petry has turned out to be a very reliable D-men this season for the Montreal Canadiens. It doesn’t seem to matter who he is paired with either. He is always providing. And this couldn’t have come at a more important time—a time when the three primary point-producers for the Habs (Jonathan Drouin, Max Domi, and Tomas Tatar) have been mysteriously silent.
The club is making progress every day. I am far from counting them out of the playoffs. And if/when they enter the post-season, anything can happen.
Happy New Year!
Go Habs Go!
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Proud of our team...Bonne Année a vous tous! #GHG
— Geoff Molson (@GMolsonCHC) January 1, 2019
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