Canadiens’ Shaw displays prowess on faceoffs
Gritty forward’s prowess in faceoff circle adds secret weapon to Montreal’s arsenal
For a guy who doesn’t even play centre, the Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw is pretty darn good at winning faceoffs.
Defenceman Shea Weber scored two goals in the Canadiens’ 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, and they both came directly off faceoffs. They were almost identical plays with Shaw, a right-handed shot, winning both draws on the backhand through his legs back to Weber on the point.
“It’s satisfying, for sure,” Shaw said after practice on Wednesday in Brossard. “We have (plays) drawn up for a one-timer by Weber. And for it to happen, it’s huge. Hopefully they keep coming like that.
“Faceoff plays are important and winning faceoffs is important,” Shaw added. “You want to control the puck, not be chasing it.”
Shaw, who earned assists on both Weber goals, won six of the eight faceoffs he took against the Blues. He’s won 55.48 per cent of the draws he’s taken this season.
While Shaw has been playing right wing on a line with Phillip Danault at centre and Max Pacioretty on the left flank, coach Claude Julien often uses Shaw to take key faceoffs, especially in the offensive zone.
Shaw said he has three moves he likes to use in the faceoff circle; his favourite one is to draw the puck through his legs on the backhand.
Shaw said the rule changes brought in this season by the NHL to stop centres from cheating in the faceoff circle actually helped him.
“Before the (new rules), I had been doing the same thing,” he said. “So when they changed the rules on faceoffs, I think it played to my advantage, because I never really spun. I never used my feet … more just timing and quickness.
“If you look, I’m probably one of the centremen, or guys who takes faceoffs, that gets kicked out of draws (the least). You can say I don’t cheat, I guess, on draws.
“On the forehand, I used to cheat a little bit, more spinning, but I rarely take that side. I mostly just try to win everything between my legs.”
Shaw said quickness, timing and hand-eye co-ordination are the keys to his success in the faceoff circle. He helped develop those skills by playing a lot of ball hockey as a kid growing up in Belleville, Ont. In 2010, he was named the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation’s Junior Player of the Year after helping Canada’s U-20 team win the world championship in Austria.
Shaw was limited to 68 games last season — his first with the Canadiens after a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks — and suffered two concussions, one in the regular season and one in the playoffs. He’s managed to stay healthy this season despite always playing bigger than fivefoot-11 and 182 pounds. Winning puck battles is one of Shaw’s strengths, along with faceoffs.
When asked after a recent practice if he was feeling 100 per cent this season, Shaw responded: “I don’t think I’ve felt 100 per cent since I was a teenager. You get used to it.”
Shaw’s two assists on Tuesday night give him 7-8-15 totals for the season with a minus-7 and a team high 32 penalty minutes while playing in all 29 games. Shaw posted 12-17-29 totals last season when it was a big adjustment for him just getting used to a new team, new city, new teammates and coaches, and a different system, after spending five seasons with the Blackhawks and winning two Stanley Cups.
He also had to deal with the concussions.
“I’m not trying to make excuses,” Shaw said. “But it can be hard to find your game a little bit.”
Shaw is much more comfortable now, both on the ice and off it in his home near the Canadiens’ Brossard practice facility. This past summer, Shaw married Chaunette Boulerice, who he first met in high school, and they have settled nicely on the South Shore with their three dogs: a six-month-old Labradoodle named Millie, who is full of energy and picks on the other two, a tiny Maltese named Charlie, who Shaw calls a “cuddle bug,” and an 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier/ beagle mix named Bailey.
“Bailey’s the old goat,” Shaw said. “She’s a daddy’s girl ... loves treats and walks.”
Kids are next in Shaw’s family plans.
“Me and my wife are really excited to start having kids and we both love animals,” he said. “The dogs are fun. You come home. and if you’ve had a bad day, they’re always there, always wagging their tails and wanting to play. It takes your mind off everything else and you can get away from the rink and just enjoy life.
“Dogs are man’s best friend.” Meanwhile, look for Shaw in the faceoff circle for key draws in the offensive zone when the Canadiens host the Calgary Flames at the Bell Centre on Thursday night (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
Winning faceoffs is important. You want to control the puck, not be chasing it.