Does it take Mattias Norlinder to shake up Jeff Petry?
With the Tricolore's setbacks, the solutions proposed to revive this team that participated in the Stanley Cup Final last July are multiplying. In a strong market like Montreal, this is quite normal!
One of the main problems affecting the CH right now is the power play. The Tricolore is struggling on the power play. The offensive contribution of the defensemen is one of the factors that can explain why the Habs are struggling to score when they are on the power play.
But is the solution much less far-reaching than one might think? Head coach Dominique Ducharme made an interesting comment when he mentioned that during the last playoffs, Erik Gustafsson took Jeff Petry's place on the power play. Is Mattias Norlinder the one to take Petry's place?
The 21-year-old Swedish defenseman will finally play his first NHL game tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would have the chance to face his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby. However, Norlinder had a message for the Penguins' number 87 ahead of the game.
He even took the time to talk to the media about all the traffic problems in Montreal. The reporters thought it was funny!
Let's get back to the serious stuff! Ducharme wouldn't confirm that Norlinder would be playing on the power play and replacing Chris Wideman on the first wave, but he did acknowledge that he could contribute at that level. He will be one to watch tomorrow night!
