Next Man Up | Three Stars of the Week, NHL, Habs, Montreal Canadiens, Eric Staal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Corey Perry
ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA — Hello there, folks! Back with another edition of my three stars of the week column!
Players will earn points each time they appear as a star in this column and at the end of the year, I will award my three stars of the season.
The Canadiens picked up an overtime win against the Oilers earlier this week but have since lost three consecutive games. Injuries have been a factor, so who has stepped up in the absence of some of the Canadiens most important players?
☆ THIRD STAR: Eric Staal
This week, Canadiens fans got their first look at Eric Staal in a Habs uniform. It was quite something to see the veteran forward suit up for the Canadiens and then to score the first overtime winner for the Habs this season against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers was quite the way to endear himself to Habs fans.
His overall play this week was up and down and some of that can likely be attributed to acclimating himself to his new team and figuring some things out that come with a mid-season move, but it also needs to be pointed out that Staal is 36.
He is not a spring chicken and the Canadiens may need to account for the fact that he can give them flashes of brilliance, like that OT winner, but is better served to play a lesser role than has been given to him to this point.
The Canadiens could use an infusion of talent as we head towards the trade deadline, but that does not look to be in the cards. So, if there is not a solution to the Canadiens issues walking through the door, they need some leadership to try and right the ship. That is something that Staal may be able to bring to the table.
Without the services of Brendan Gallagher, the addition of Staal and some of the production he can provide may prove to be an important addition to the Canadiens.
☆ SECOND STAR: Jesperi Kotkaniemi
My first star of the week last week was Brendan Gallagher, who will be out six weeks with a thumb injury, so this week the Canadiens asked for players to step up in the absence of the Canadiens fiery right winger. One of those guys is Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
The Canadiens shifted Kotkaniemi from centre to the wing, which can certainly be argued may not be the best from a development standpoint, but that is out of Kotkaniemi’s control. For him, this is an opportunity to be used in a different role than he has had to this point in his career and show some versatility, which could be beneficial to him.
There was obviously an adjustment period and some of that could be seen early in the game against the Leafs where he was going deeper into the defensive zone than you typically see from a winger, but that was his instincts kicking in. Again, there is certainly an argument to be made that getting Kotkaniemi out of the mindset of being a centreman is to his detriment, but things would get better.
He picked up a pair of assists against the Jets on Thursday and though these may not be under ideal circumstances, he has consistently been one of the Canadiens better possession players with his line seemingly always being a bright spot creating scoring opportunities. Bumping him to what has always been considered the Habs top line, is giving him more opportunities to create that offense.
In the absence of Gallagher, it would be great to continue to see Kotkaniemi deliver offensive output. If nothing else, maybe the move to the wing will give him a chance to gain more confidence in his ability to provide offensive production.
☆ FIRST STAR: Corey Perry
Speaking of stepping up in the absence of Gallagher, Corey Perry did that to the best of his abilities this week. He scored twice in the game against Toronto, the first being a beautiful goal after a series of head and shoulder fakes, the second one he jammed home following a battle in front of the net.
But without the services of Gallagher in years past, the Canadiens have certainly lacked in goal-scoring, but also that toughness and willingness to get into battles all over the ice. Perry is certainly not afraid to do that.
Though I did not particularly like his hit against Dylan DeMelo of the Jets, sometimes a team trailing in a game needs a little controversy going on to wake up a little bit and Perry is not afraid to stick his nose in there and do that when the moment calls for it.
The production the Canadiens have gotten out of Perry to this point has been remarkable. He already has more goals than he had last season and it took him significantly less time to get them. Perry talked about being excited to be a Hab before the season began and maybe that could play a part in what we have seen from him to this point in the season.
Even at age 35, the Habs are benefitting immensely from the instincts that made Corey Perry such a dominant player in the prime of his career. With the addition of Eric Staal as well, I think the Canadiens have raised their ceiling a little bit. These guys are not at the point where they can carry a team like they did in the prime of their careers, but they can make winning, impactful plays when it counts.
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