A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens: The Paul Byron effect isn’t a myth

By Omar L

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 19: Montreal Canadiens left wing Paul Byron (41) shoots on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens on february 19, 2019, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 19: Montreal Canadiens left wing Paul Byron (41) shoots on Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period of the NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens on february 19, 2019, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Montreal Canadiens benefitted from having Paul Byron in the lineup against the Columbus Blue Jackets and his impact on the roster is a real one.

Of all the moves Marc Bergevin has made in his tenure as the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, the Paul Byron waiver claim will stand out to be one of the more remembered. One of his many trades will surely be up there in memory, however, the consistent impact of Byron on this team is one that many don’t talk enough about.

Byron adds an element of speed to the Habs forward lines that can’t be matched by many. His skating forces whoever he plays with to match pace to ensure their with him for an impending scoring chance. He keeps the team honest as one of its leaders acting as a strong model for many players to look towards when it comes to preparation, execution, and all around effort.

Think back to last season when the Montreal Canadiens weren’t having the best set of performances. On many nights, the effort was the issue for some of its players and being one of the most hardworking players on the team, Byron had no qualms in making a statement showing his frustration towards it.

But of course in today’s NHL, stats are pretty huge, so here are a couple.

More from A Winning Habit

The Montreal Canadiens have played a total of 59 games this season. Byron has missed 23 games, 14 due to a lower-body injury, three from his suspension, and another six thanks to his forearm. In those Byron-less nights, the Habs have are 9-10-4 putting up 65 goals and allowing 80. However, when the speedster is in the lineup, the team is 23-11-3 scoring more (106) and giving up less (97).

Sample size has to be taken into account when it comes to goals for and goals against as far as the actual magnitude. It’s tough to stack a 37-game output to a 23-game output as a 40-goal difference makes sense between a 14 game comparable. But what does stand out is the team’s record. They win a lot more than they lose when Byron is on the ice with them.

You can look at Tuesday night’s match as a clear example. Don’t get me wrong, the Montreal Canadiens needed to come out flying to have a good result after losing the their last four games in a row. Nevertheless, Byron was noticeable every time he was on the ice. He also has a positive impact on rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

We’ve seen the 18-year-old’s playmaking and vision and it comes alive when he has Byron on his wing. Kotkaniemi isn’t afraid to make a distance pass to Byron because he knows he has the speed to get to it. When playing with others, he hesitates at time to send an advancing pass and instead holds on to the puck a little longer than he should. However, when Byron is with him, he lets it go the first chance he gets.

Next. Is Thompson an improvement?. dark

We speak frequently of Brendan Gallagher being the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens and that can’t be denied. Though Byron over the years has propelled himself into that role as well, and to make things even better, he’s signed for another four.

Home/Editorials