Derek Lalonde and How His Arrival Has Helped the Penalty Kill

Marc-Olivier Cook
Derek Lalonde and How His Arrival Has Helped the Penalty Kill
Credit: YouTube

The addition of Derek Lalonde to the Canadiens' coaching staff this summer may have gone somewhat unnoticed.

We were expecting a big move from Kent Hughes and wanted to see the Habs' GM land a big-name player, but… it didn't happen.

That said, the move that brings Lalonde to Montreal is significant in its own right. 

It's important because, as we've said before, it will give Martin St-Louis some breathing room. Lalonde has coaching experience, and we know he's something of a defensive specialist—which explains why the Canadiens have entrusted him with overseeing the penalty kill.

It's worth noting that his arrival has been well-received in the locker room, by the way. Phillip Danault put it this way: it's going to be a game-changer for the PK because Lalonde has the tools to help the team in that area, just as he did with the Lightning a few years ago.

Arpon Basu discussed this in a recent article:

The Canadiens finished last season ranked 18th in the NHL in penalty-killing efficiency (78.2%).

There's room for improvement in that area, then.

The team wants to start the season by giving itself the best chance to be dominant night after night, and if the arrival of Derek Lalonde can help achieve that with his penalty-killing contributions, everyone in town will be happy.

And the Canadiens, with the addition of Chris Kreider, are likely to have strong units when they're a man down. Everything is in place for the Habs to improve in this aspect of the game, so… it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

That said, I'm curious to see if it'll take some time for the players to get used to Lalonde's new systems, which are based on the importance of cutting off passing lanes for the opposing team.

That might very well be the case…


In a Nutshell

– Ivan Demi-DOG.

– These two will be ones to watch this winter.

– What do you think?

– Well done.

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