Montreal Canadiens: Mike Matheson Has Leveled Up
By Suki Gill
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is off to a blazing start. After picking up two more points in Thursday’s win over Columbus, the Pointe-Claire native already has five points in seven games to start the season.
Matheson is also being leaned on heavily by head coach Martin St. Louis and his staff to play significant minutes in every situation. He is currently third in the National Hockey League among blueliners in ice time averaging a hefty 26 minutes per game.
The Canadiens reliance on Matheson took an even bigger uptick when fellow d-men Kaiden Guhle and David Savard were both fell by early season injuries. Guhle is working his way back and should be in the lineup again in short order but Savard will be out for up to two months, meaning the load on Matheson is not likely to let up anytime soon.
The smooth skating number 8 has been everything the Canadiens could have hoped for and more since he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer. He plays on the top pair at even strength, matching up against the opposition’s best players on a nightly basis. He also plays on the first wave of both special teams units.
He has especially been coming into his own as the quarterback of the club’s PP1. Both his goals this season have come on the man advantage and the contrast between them really illustrate Matheson’s ability to produce offense in multiple ways.
Whether it’s walking the blueline tightrope at the point to find his shooting lane or putting it in overdrive and going coast to coast, Matheson keeps opponents on their heels with his superior skating and ability to shift gears and direction on a dime.
Matheson’s success should come as no surprise following the great first year he had playing for his hometown team and yet the newly minted assistant captain continues to turn heads. He is a player who has clearly taken his game to the next level and is playing like a slam dunk number one defenseman.
Matheson is also still on the right side of 30 and should be around for the long haul. With premier defense prospects such as Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher on the way, Matheson’s experience on the back end will be invaluable and I can’t think of a better guy to lead the way.
The Canadiens may be a way’s away from truly contending but Matheson is definitely among the reasons that have made this year’s team so much fun to watch. I don’t know what Matheson’s ceiling is but with every passing game he continues to elevate, so let’s sit back and enjoy the ride and every highlight reel goal along the way.
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