Montreal Canadiens defenceman Jayden Struble was involved in a rather physical play on Friday night when he stood up a Chicago Blackhawks forward who was bearing down on him.
MacKenzie Entwistle decided to jump in to avenge his teammate, resulting in a decision win for the Habs defenceman. It should be noted Entwistle did manage to land a couple of punches, but only after the linesmen had stepped in.
It was a clean hit, but teams seem to be incapable of accepting when one of their teammates loses a physical battle these days.
Struble, 22, is enjoying a fantastic start to his NHL career. Not only is he playing a smart brand of defence, but he’s also doing a great job driving the play up the ice. Statistically speaking, his greatest impact has come in the offensive zone.
However, those who have followed Struble’s development are well aware he possesses more than just a good skillset for the third pairing. He’s one of the strongest players in the league, especially when we consider he’s relatively short, standing at 6′ tall.
This was the first time Struble needed to display his physical prowess, but surely not the last. Given his excellent play at 5v5 and his seamless transition to the NHL, the Northeastern product has built a case for a long-term assignment on the Canadiens’ blueline.
Things can change in a hurry, but for now, Struble is one of the most reliable defencemen on the team.
And when he’s not busy tossing people around, Struble has even taken some time to moonlight as a backup goaltender. His save in the first period may have been one of the best saves of the year.
The Montreal Canadiens presently lead the Blackhawks 3-2, which puts even more importance on the excellent play from Struble to save a goal early in the game.
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