Andrei Markov Returns, Habs Go From Night to Day
140 games, 483 days and a whole bunch of losses and hotdogs in the pressbox watching his teammates toil away for the last two seasons made Andrei Markov an awfully hungry hockey player.
Returning to the lineup in a flash on Saturday night in Vancouver against the Canucks, the Habs and Markov caught the hockey world off-guard with his return.
A surprise insertion into the lineup, the Canadiens couldn't have gotten a bigger or better surprise.
Patience has been the key word used around Markov for the better part of the past two seasons as the team's best player succumbed to repeated career threatening knee injuries and, while the rehab the last couple times was pushed in the hopes of getting #79 back for playoff runs or a full season, this time around holds a different air.
The surprise insertion, made public by Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier only hours before the Canadiens matchup with the Canucks as he took in a Hamilton Bulldogs game, was certainly par for the course for the "Ghost" but not necessarily Markov as his progress has been surreptitiously monitored by many.
Surprised, shocked...Habs nation was no doubt stunned by the announcement of Markov's return.
But surprising the world never mattered to Markov.
After a two year process trying to return to health, it was more a matter of feeling right and being prepared.
Ironically, though Markov had returned to practice with the team, there hadn't been much indication of when he would actually rejoin the team in game action.
Little in the way of hard practice or much of a conditioning stint, the decision was likely made because Markov himself felt he had crossed a threshold. Hard to imagine the team or doctors pushing him back well before he was ready.
So, while the news was a bit of a shock, with zero pressure on the team to succeed this year and nothing forcing him back sooner, it may have eased tension around his comeback, possibly pushing him to be comfortable with a return sooner than anticipated.
Whatever the case may be, and whoever the detractors are, there is absolutely no way in this world that you can deny the impact he has on the Montreal Canadiens.
They are a different team.
And though they are quite literally a different team since the last time their assistant captain suited up for the Habs, the difference #79 makes is still the same.
An instant change.
The attitude, demeanor and air about the team simply lifted following Gauthier's announcement, and while fears perked up as well (which is a decent consideration given how Markov's prior returns have gone), they quickly subsided as the quarterback restored rhythm and flow.
The situation Saturday reminded me of Markov's attempt to return in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins a few seasons ago. Though he was unable to make it back on to the ice in game action, the mere presence on the ice at practice was enough to provide his teammates with the confidence they needed to win.
Though things aren't quite the same this time around, there's no masking the boost he brings to this lineup.
Turning attention back to Saturday night and the Habs rather commanding 4-1 win over the Canucks, and though I mentioned how Markov's impact, contextually, was different as this was but a regular season game, the affect was virtually the same.
Hard to quantify, the reality is that Markov seems to align this lineup in such a fashion that roles are not only restored but fulfilled. Players look better and play better when they play within their comfort zones and, for whatever reason, Markov's presence and play seems to set this team straight.
A cursory glance at how the other defensemen played on Saturday night reveals a simple truth; faced with less ice-time and fewer pressure situations, the rest of the blue line played a more focused game. Though Markov was being heavily monitored, and though his foot-speed is clearly still lagging, you could easily tell that the Canucks forwards took a different tact both in attacking and defending against the Canadiens when he was on the ice.
Then there's the power play. While it's been coming around over the past few weeks, the Subban goal illustrates the type of flow and puckmanship that's been missing from their man advantage.
It's only one game and it has come at the tail-end of a year that may see the Canadiens wind up with their highest draft pick since 1980, yet none of it really matters when Markov is healthy.
He makes this team better, there's no questioning it or arguing it.
Perhaps a tough pill to swallow for a fan base that was just coming around to the fact that their the team was on the fast-track to an elite pick, the likes of which this Habs franchise hasn't seen since 1980, but it's hard not to like what Andrei Markov does for this team.
Who knows what the rest of the season will look like for the Canadiens and Markov? Perhaps they'll manage to stay the course and land that high-end pick that seems to be their destiny. Or, perhaps they'll surge due to the return of the player who has always been their missing link?
The safety net in a surge is that, being so low in the standings, there's still a very strong chance that high end pick is still on its way to Montreal, though with Markov back, that's no guarantee.
Either way, the dream of a high pick can still be a reality thanks to the first 3/4's of the season while the accrued assets in terms of 5 second rounders also offer plenty of opportunity. Leaving the Canadiens with only one true objective for the remainder of the year; to see how good they really can be with their best player in the lineup leading the charge.
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