It's sad for the Montreal Canadiens players because after yesterday's game, some fans were harsh on them. If we forget the four consecutive losses suffered by the team, Dominique Ducharme's team showed up to play hockey yesterday. There was more commitment and the effort level was there.
However, the defense was atrocious. No matter what you call the defensive, it's nothing like the top-four that we saw last year. How can you not miss Shea Weber, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and Joel Edmundson. Now that was a real top-4. Chiarot and Petry were at their best with Weber and Edmundson respectively.
While we're on the subject of Edmundson, with the way the defense is currently holding up, #44 will certainly play 40 minutes. His absence hurts Jeff Petry so much, who has been a shadow of his former self so far. Yes, 40 minutes is an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.
That said, on top of that, we're talking about the lack of leadership right now. To me, Edmundson is one of the few great survivors of the great leadership that was in place last year. He is respected by his teammates, officials and opponents.
