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Meat and The Man Mountain: The Montreal Canadiens Top Defence Pair Needs to Be Better

By Curt MacLellan

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 02: Montreal Canadiens defenceman Shea Weber (6) looks towards Montreal Canadiens defenceman Victor Mete (53) during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 02, 2019, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 02: Montreal Canadiens defenceman Shea Weber (6) looks towards Montreal Canadiens defenceman Victor Mete (53) during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 02, 2019, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QC – NOVEMBER 27: Montreal Canadiens Shea Weber Victor Mete (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Montreal Canadiens number one defensive unit, Shea Weber and Victor Mete, has struggled so far this season. What can they do to better their results?

There is an old adage that says, “You are only as strong as your weakest link.” The Montreal Canadiens‘ defensive core has had more than a few weak links so far this season.

The defensive unit as a whole has underperformed both offensively and defensively, except for the showings of Jeff Petry and Brett Kulak (who some would argue is the actual top unit, ahead of Shea Weber and Victor Mete). The third unit, now comprised of a combination of Ben Chiarot and Christian Folin/Cale Fleury, has also not played up to standards.

The players on defence have simply not yet matched the stellar play of the forwards. That trend is problematic and concerning and must be addressed…

Why has the defence core played so poorly—generally speaking—and what can the coach, Claude Julien, and the GM, Marc Bergevin, do to right the ship, so to speak? Let us focus our attention on dissecting the number one defensive pairing, and the most concerning one, Weber and Mete.

Shea Weber is a beast of a man. He stands 6’4 and weighs over 230lbs. He has earned the moniker, “Man Mountain,” for good reason. Opposing players are intimidated by, and even fear, his ferocity in the defensive zone. He has also been described by members of the Montreal Canadiens athletic training staff as one of the strongest human beings they have ever witnessed, and of course, he possesses one of the most lethal and devastating shots in all of hockey.

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