Montreal Canadiens: Artturi Lehkonen Is the Second Round’s Unsung Hero

The Montreal Canadiens have swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round and crowned themselves the Kings in the North (Division). The whole team is truly responsible for this amazing series, but Artturi Lehkonen is a guy that has avoided a lot of the praise, and that just isn’t alright.

Montreal has won their first series, and completely dominated the second series, by using completely unstoppable defence. The way they do it is pretty unconventional, running essentially 2 pairs for over 20 minutes a game, and hardly using the 3rd pair. Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson are a huge part of Montreal’s success, along with the rock solid Carey Price in net.

But it takes more than 5 guys to shut down one of the league’s best offences and the balanced and deep offence of the Jets. It takes all 6 guys on the ice at any given time, and all 22 guys on the roster to do what Montreal has done.

The biggest contributors of those defensive forwards is the “first” line of Brendan Gallagher – Phillip Danault – Jake Evans. Everyone knows what Brendan Gallagher brings every second or every game, and Phillip Danault has become one of the league’s best pure defensive forward.

But that third wing spot on the line has seen some changes. Originally the hole was filled with Tomas Tatar, the goal scorer, but he has come down with a mysterious injury, right as he was being scratched as he has never performed well in the playoffs. So, who would fill that spot?

Eventually, by the end of this series, Artturi Lehkonen would fill that spot and has been a great story so far. But, his story might only be trumped by the guy he replaced: Jake Evans.