Montreal Canadiens’ blueliner Kaiden Guhle has had a tough season from his own account, but he has really upped his game lately, so much so that he hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against in seven games. Over the course of those seven games, he has a plus-nine rating.
Even though he only got on the scoreboard in one of those seven games, he got a goal and two assists against the New York Islanders on March 21; he has had a huge impact on the games.
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In that seven-game span, he has landed 21 hits, including eight in the 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 24, and has blocked 18 shots. Guhle’s game took a turn for the better when he was put on a pairing with Alexandre Carrier on March 17, in a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins. That combination worked very well for the Canadiens’ last season.
For the last two games, though, since Carrier is dealing with an upper-body injury, Guhle has played alongside Arber Xhekaj, and his game has stayed at the same high level. That’s a testament to how well Xhekaj has done since being put back on the blueline, keeping his game simple and playing the right way.
There’s no denying that since the Canadiens started their seven-game winning streak, they’ve had better goaltending than they’ve had through most of the season, but they’ve also had much better play from Guhle, and that makes a difference as well.
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In just 35 games this season, the Albertan has put up 10 points, which projects to 23 points in a full 82-game season. Of course, points production is not Guhle’s forte, but getting secondary scoring is never a bad thing for any team.
It’s impossible to deny that having Guhle in the lineup and performing to the best of his potential is a huge plus for the Canadiens. If he could manage to stay healthy and play a full season, it would definitely stabilize the Habs’ defense corps and make Montreal an even better team.
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