Canadiens’ Matheson Quietly Having Good Bounce Back Season

Last year, Montreal Canadiens’ veteran defenseman Mike Matheson saw his power-play minutes melt in front of his very eyes when rookie Lane Hutson showed that he was ready to quarterback the first wave of the man-advantage. Relegated to the second unit, the Pointe-Claire native ended his season with an average of just 1:57 on the power play compared to 3:41 the year before. He also went from 62 points to just 31 on the season, getting just 10 points on the man-advantage, compared to 28 the year before.

This season, with Noah Dobson’s arrival, he’s hardly seen any power-play time at all, averaging just 16 seconds per night, and his time on ice has also diminished from 25:05 to 24:14. Yet, through 74 games, he’s already surpassed his point total from the last campaign with 37 and only one of those points came on the man advantage. Furthermore, he went from a minus-six rating last season to a plus-10 so far this year.

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The improvement stems from the veteran’s complete embrace of his new role as a penalty-killing specialist and his formation of a very effective pair with Noah Dobson. While neither has ever been known as a defensive specialist, their pairing has worked well because of their mobility and their strong puck possession, which keeps them on the ice in the offensive end for most of the time. Granted, he can make mistakes here and there, but anybody who spends so much time on the ice is bound to make some, and he has made fewer than last season.

Matheson’s capability to adapt as the Canadiens went through their rebuild showed that he was ready and willing to do whatever the team needed from him, which is what earned him a five-year contract extension. Back when Kent Hughes signed Jake Allen to a two-year contract extension, he described the goaltender as someone who didn’t mind being there for the rough patch, the tree-planting process and growth and who didn’t mind not being there when it was time to enjoy the shade provided by the grown three. Matheson earned the right to be there to enjoy the shade of the grown trees, which is why the GM signed him to a five-year contract extension at the end of November.

On Sunday night at the Bell Center, the Canadiens highlighted the fact that the blueliner had played his 700th NHL game in New Jersey on Saturday night with a congratulatory message on the Jumbotron. The announcement was met with warm applause by the Habs faithful.

At 32, there’s no denying that the rearguard plays an important role for the Canadiens, and if he keeps adapting as the young core matures and progresses, he may very well end up playing in Montreal for the rest of his career. If he spends the five years of his new contract in town, he could play 420 more games with the Sainte-Flanelle, bringing his NHL total to over 1,100, a testament to his longevity and adaptability.

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