No centre, no problem for the Montreal Canadiens. Coming into the season, the Habs could least afford an injury down the middle of the ice, especially to captain Nick Suzuki.
The 100-point man missed the entire four-game road trip, but it did not seem to matter, as the Canadiens secured all eight points. It took the entire group, some spectacular games from Jacob Fowler, and an offensive explosion from the blueline. However, while Fowler and the Canadiens' blueline have grabbed most of the attention, the contributions of Phillip Danault and Jake Evans should not be overlooked.
Danault and Evans offer more than just defence
Danault and Evans have never been known for their offensive production. Instead, their reputations have been built on their ability to shut down opposing players. Danault earned praise for his defensive play during the Canadiens' 2021 playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, helping limit Auston Matthews to just one goal.
Evans is more than just a fourth-line centre. He has been a key member of the Canadiens' penalty kill and excels at the faceoff dot. Turns out, the two can be more than just defensive stoppers. Evans had yet to record a point this season before Suzuki went down with his injury. In the four games since, Evans has two goals and two assists. His best performance came in the Canadiens' 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, as he finished with two goals and an assist.
Danault was not far behind, recording three points during the Canadiens' four-game road trip. Danault had not scored in his first 12 games of the season, but picked up his first of the year with an empty-netter, sealing the victory for the Canadiens against the Dallas Stars. While they did contribute offensively, Danault and Evans’ bread and butter is still on the defensive side of the ice.
Danault and Evans step up in bigger roles
Both Danault and Evans saw their ice time increase with Suzuki out of the lineup. While Evans remained on the fourth line, his average ice time increased from 13:33 before Suzuki's injury to 16:55 during the road trip. The same happened for Danault, with his average ice time increasing from 15:52 per game to 19:00. It was clear that one player could not replace what was lost with Suzuki out, but they could stay afloat as a committee.
What has really stepped up in Suzuki's absence is the Canadiens' penalty kill, with Danault and Evans playing major roles. For the season, Montreal’s penalty kill ranks 11th in the NHL, stopping opposing teams 82.7% of the time. During the Canadiens' four-game road trip, Montreal killed 14 of 15 penalties, a 93.3% success rate, well above their season average. During this stretch, the Canadiens scored just as many goals on the penalty kill as they gave up, with Evans scoring a shorthanded goal against the Blackhawks.
Danault and Evans picked up the slack offensively and were great on the defensive end as usual. Alex Newhook made the most of his opportunity to centre the top line, scoring two goals against the Stars. When Suzuki returns to the lineup, Danault’s and Evans' roles will likely go back to what they were before. While four games is a small sample size, Danault and Evans have shown that the Canadiens may have more depth down the middle than previously thought.
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