Both the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens went out at the trade deadline and improved their defense. Which unit will have more success in the series?
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The Montreal Canadiens defense has gone through some pretty big, transformational changes over the past year.
In the offseason, they made a blockbuster trade that sent star defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for star defenseman Shea Weber. On top of that, the team went out and traded for Jordie Benn at the trade deadline from Dallas and Nikita Nesterov from Tampa Bay. These two trades have added lots of depth to their blue line in time for their matchup with the New York Rangers.
The Rangers went out and made a minor splash at the deadline, acquiring Brendan Smith from Detroit to bolster their blueline as well. The Rangers now boast a wealth of defenseman on their roster, although only a few of them are contributing positively to the lineup.
Now as the two teams collide in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, let’s look at how their defensive units match up with one another.
The Top Pairing
Shea Weber and Andrei Markov vs. Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi.
This is really no contest.
While Ryan McDonagh is probably the best of the group defensively, Shea Weber is on another level offensively. Although Weber put up the least amount of points he has in a season where he has played 60+ games, he was still nuts offensively. He tallied 17 goals and 25 assists on the year, leading all Canadiens defenders.
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Andrei Markov had another solid offensive season, posting six goals and 30 assists. Markov, just like Weber, is a guy who is going to give you a good amount of offense on the backend and can quarterback a power play to perfection but also gives you more than serviceable defense.
We all know how bad Dan Girardi is, so we really don’t need to get into anything too specific here. I will say this though; if there was ever a team for Girardi to have a solid series against, it may be the Canadiens. The Canadiens do not play a speed game like the Rangers and have a lot of slower forwards in their bottom six.
Girardi’s problem has long been keeping up with the opposing team’s forwards so he shouldn’t have many issues like that in regards to the Canadiens if he is used properly. Then again, it is Alain Vigneault on the bench so he probably won’t.
Verdict: Canadiens
The Second Pairing
Jordie Benn and Jeff Petry vs. Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith
For a good defensive team with solid puck possession numbers, the Canadiens second pairing of Jordie Benn and Jeff Petry is a bit underwhelming. Jeff Petry had himself a pretty solid offensive showing in 16-17 with eight goals and 20 assists on the season. He is known for being a solid enough guy who is reliable on both ends of the ice but won’t do anything to wow you. That’s what people also think about Jordie Benn, which might not be the case.
Eyes On Isles
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Benn, also somebody not known to be a goal scorer, notched two goals in 13 games with the Habs after the trade. The knock on Jordie Benn is his lack of foot speed, coupled with the fact that he is generally on the ice when his team is giving up a lot of shots. Benn’s CA60 numbers reflect that (he has a 61.29 CA60 in 5-on-5 situations).
The Rangers, on the other hand, made a trade at the deadline of their own, adding a solid and steady Brendan Smith to the equation.
Smith has solid puck possession and shot suppression advanced statistics. His 49.5 CF% coupled with his 52.54 CA60 numbers aren’t perfect, but you can definitely live with them on your second pairing. He has been more than reliable on the defensive end for the Rangers and could end up moving on Ryan McDonagh’s right side at some point in the series.
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Brady Skjei has had an unbelievable rookie year. His five goals and 34 assists put him among the best rookie defenseman the franchise has ever had in its 90 years of existence. Defensively, only Ryan McDonagh challenges him in this category. He has been lights out, using his quick legs and high hockey IQ to put himself in the best situations to deter scoring opportunities on a night in night out basis.
Verdict: Rangers
The Third Pair
Nathan Beaulieu and Nikita Nesterov vs. Marc Staal and Nick Holden
Both Beaulieu and Nesterov had solid years for the Canadiens. The 24-year-old Beaulieu had his best season to date, notching 28 points–24 of which were helpers. His puck possession and shot suppression numbers aren’t perfect, but they are where you would want them to be for a third pairing defenseman. Beaulieu still has time to grow into being a stronger defensive player, but the Canadiens won’t complain about his play in 16-17.
Nesterov was a nice midseason addition. Coming over from Tampa Bay for a pick and a prospect, Nesterov has been more than solid at both ends of the ice. He tallied a goal and three assists in his 13 games in Canada and has great advanced statistics to back up his two-way play. He has a 54.3 CF% to go with a 49.21 CA60. Those are numbers are fantastic for a 3rd pairing defender.
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Over on Broadway, everything has not been nearly as lovely as it’s been for the Habs bottom pair.
Marc Staal and Nick Holden have both had very up-and-down seasons. Staal hasn’t been quite as bad as he was last year, but he hasn’t been all too much better either. His underlying numbers suggest that the puck is pinned in the Rangers’ defensive zone when he is on the ice. This has ended up being the case plenty of times this year. Staal has had games where he has looked like the Staal of old. He has also had plenty of games where you wanted to boo him off the ice.
Nick Holden was the same way in his first year with the Rangers. He put up career-high offensive numbers with 11 goals and 23 assists, but defensively he was very up and down too. As a third pairing you could do worse but if Alain Vigneault plays them more than the Smith-Skjei pairing, he is gonna be asking for trouble.
Verdict: Canadiens
Summary
The Canadiens have two really dependable lines while the Rangers have one and a half. Ryan McDonagh, Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith are all more than solid, Nick Holden has his days when he’s effective, too, but rolling out Girardi and Staal still is a bit concerning. The Canadiens have an undoubted advantage as far as offense from the backend is concerned as well.
Next: Rangers vs. Canadiens Goaltending Preview
The Canadiens have adapted a defense-first philosophy since the hiring of Claude Julien. That philosophy is what puts their staff above the Rangers’.