Brendan Gallagher's peskiness spreads through locker room

The Montreal Canadiens top power play finally looked dangerous with Patrik Laine in the fold against the New York Islanders.

Laine's addition to the lineup and the top power-play unit sparked some shifting from Martin St. Louis with his troops. Lane Hutson stood at the top, operating the brigade like a quarterback, while Laine, of course, joined on his strong side, until shifting over to his weak side to open up a one-touch shooting option. This worked out well since he scored his first goal in a year.

The second unit, however, is an interesting one and with Mike Matheson manning the blue line, I think the Habs have the makings of two solid units. With the talent expected to funnel into the lineup over the next few seasons, there will be more changes, but things are looking up. Emil Heineman and Joel Armia are two solid pieces, one for his shooting prowess and the other for his puck protection.

But I want to zoom in on one player who I think despite his age can be a huge factor for the units success. That player is Brendan Gallagher, and the reason being is because he is one of the most effective netfront presences that the Canadiens employ. Gallagher is a battler in front of the net, and despite not being very big, he creates with his stick and strong body positioning.

While he might not be the player he once was, Gallagher's game has adapted and his tenacity has ensured he can still keep up with the young pups. His hardnosed game and fearlessness invoke energy in the lineup. There is also his willingness to battle anybody and everybody if it means the team gains an upperhand.

You can't win them all and I'm sure Gallagher knew he bit a little more than he could chew in his fight with Columbus Blue Jackets defender Zach Werenski, but that didn't deter him. Gallagher's toughness and selflessness make him a staple, both on the ice and in the locker room for the Canadiens. The same approach to fighting and annoying goalies is brought to the power play in his office.

Gallagher's toughness spreads through the lineup

Gallagher brings both a veteran presence and maybe the biggest amount of heart of any player. But he also sets an example for the Habs sub-six-foot-tall players. Nick Suzuki (5'11"), Cole Caufield (5'7") and Lane Hutson (5'10") represent the shortest players on the Habs, but you'd be hard-pressed to argue that they aren't tough.

Regardless of who it is, Gallagher's resiliency and toughness spread through the entire Habs bench. If you see a guy like Gallagher who gives his all just as hard in preseason as he does deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs, it speaks volumes to the team. It's easy to get fired up and feel the adrenaline pumping through the veins.

He has gotten older and battled through plenty of ailments and injuries, but one thing he doesn't do is let anything get in his way.