Yet, it's true, and quite a development. The team's defensemen are heavily involved in the playing style and are producing at an impressive level.
What's surprising about all this is that they play almost not at all on the power play. So, their production is coming at even strength. The two waves of five attackers on the power play consist of four forwards, with Michael Matheson on the first unit and Arber Xhekaj on the second until recently.
Martin St-Louis has finally added a third defenseman to this list, namely Justin Barron. It's a great promotion for the kid, who can now showcase his offensive abilities.
Moreover, one might think that Jayden Struble's brilliance pushed Arber Xhekaj out of Montreal, but if we look at the playing time and the responsibilities given by the coach, it's rather Barron who has taken his place and his duties.
Barron will need to learn to better protect himself because he has been roughed up in recent games, but overall, he is doing a very good job.
