The Montreal Canadiens’ P.K. Subban Paradox

By Lissa Albert @LissaRantSports on October 18, 2014

Once again, the Montreal Canadiens have won a drama-filled game. Evident in this game is the yin-yang of defenseman P.K. Subban.

Subban is someone I’ve written about before, and will, no doubt, write about again. Subban’s contract this summer made Habs history. He shows a maturity off the ice that elevates him exponentially. And on ice, he excels as a dynamic player whose skills make him utterly sensational to watch.

But there’s a paradox that follows Subban. Ever since he burst on the scene in the 2010 playoffs, he has been known as a risky player. Subban’s exuberance has been known to get ahead of him and this is one reported reason that Mike Babcock, who coached Canada’s Olympic Men’s Hockey, did not play Subban except for once.

P.K.’s known to take penalties. This makes sense – players who take risks also risk having that backfire. But there are many times P.K.’s risks have paid off in big ways.

In Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, P.K. took a penalty in the second period. Instantly, social media (a fun “place” to be when watching hockey) became a bash-Subban fest. For two minutes straight, as the Habs battled to kill the penalty, fans derided Subban for the penalty. The Canadiens were up by a goal, playing strong hockey, but P.K. jeopardized that, according to those who were complaining. And the inevitable topic of his contract was once again invoked. “P.K’s too busy admiring his $72 million to remember that holding isn’t allowed.”

And then, the penalty expired, Subban came bursting out of the box, grabbed the puck, never let go, and scored on the Avalanche’s net, putting the Habs up by two. It was a gorgeous move, and one I would recommend finding online to watch.

Literally, within five seconds, P.K. went from being vilified to glorified. Earning the first star of the game, the praise of play-by-play commentators, post-game analysts, on both Colorado and Montreal sides, Subban was, once again, a hero.

With Subban, this kind of play is not unexpected.  It’s one of the reasons he was awarded the contract he got – he is that good. His maturity emerged again after the game. When interviewed, he was quoted as saying he knew he had taken a bad penalty and  channeled the energy into that post-penalty goal. He added that he knows he has to stay out of the penalty box. To me, that shows a self-assessment that will only help him curtail his risks.

Going forward, I believe we will see Subban continue to take the risks, but perhaps not as often.  This season, just six games in, he already has fourteen minutes in penalties. There are penalties that have been argued as not having been earned (the “bogus penalty”), but those are his statistics so far. He has scored important goals for the team, however, in the past two games, he has begun to return to the performance he was known to turn in on a regular basis, something that had been missing the first four games this season.

Subban’s one-timer on the powerplay always draws cheers, whether he scores or not. His shot is spectacular, and even if he doesn’t score, he manages to test goalies in a big way and thrills the fans. His strong skating rounds out the list of talents, making him a truly complete player, and one who grabs the spotlight even when he isn’t trying. He’s extremely noticeable.

Risk taker, rocket sniper, dynamic, exciting, dramatic and talented, P.K. Subban may polarize the hockey world, but fans of the Montreal Canadiens know – despite the griping at times – that he is a huge asset to the team. Even fans of other teams love to hate Subban – I have seen many grudgingly admit that P.K. is someone they wish played for their team.

I think we have to take the bad with the good. As he continues to mature even more, and given his new leadership role as one of four alternate captains on the team, P.K. will show a little more restraint. But watching him play, I’ll admit I hope it isn’t too dialed back because when P.K. Subban’s risks pay off in goals and assisted goals, or even just carrying the puck from one end to the other, he is a delight to watch.

Lissa Albert is a Montreal Canadiens writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @LissaRantSports. “Like” her on Facebook and/or add her to your network on Google.