In 2007-08, the Montreal Canadiens had the best power play in the National Hockey League, due in large part to some of the best offensive defensemen in the game today, namely Andrei Markov and Mark Streit.
Both blueliners possess booming shots from the point and excellent on-ice vision, two attributes that are vital on the power play.
While Markov was an anchor in the Canadiens' back end alongside Mike Komisarek, Streit was constantly shifted from forward to defensemen in his tenure in Montreal, due in large part to both his offensive abilities and a crowded blueline.
Although Streit was a regular contributor in the regular season and the playoffs, Guy Carbonneau continuously juggled him between forward and defense. This incited the Swiss blueliner to not re-sign with the Canadiens, instead accepting an offer from the New York Islanders.
Since then, the Montreal power play has been on a downward spiral, in large part due to the absence of Streit.
With Andrei Markov going down early in the season, a huge void was left on the man advantage, so Bob Gainey decided to go out and sign free agent Marc-Andre Bergeron.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Felix Sicard
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December 23rd, 2009 by Felix Sicard Leave a reply »
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