This is posted on the Canadiens website:Year in review – Glen Metropolit
Wednesday, 16.06.2010 / 5:00 PM / News
canadiens.com
MONTREAL - All Glen Metropolit ever wanted was an opportunity.
At age 35, Metropolit finally got his chance to shine in 2009-10 and he made the most of it. While many are quick to dismiss Jacques Martin as a defensive coach, his hiring as the Habs’ head coach made a scorer out of Metro.
Known more for his work in a checking role over his previous seven NHL seasons, Metropolit was given the chance to play on the power play this season and he never looked back. As his confidence grew with every power play minute he played, Metropolit tied Brian Gionta for the team lead with 10 power play markers on his way to notching a career-high 16 goals. As if that weren’t enough, his 10 goals with the man advantage were more than he’d scored over 338 games in his NHL career heading into 2009-10.
As his dream season was humming along, Metropolit was gearing up for the playoffs when he hit a road block late in the season. The veteran center dislocated his left shoulder against the Devils on March 27 and immediately launched the healing process.
Expected to be shelved for 6-to-8 weeks and quite possibly the rest of the season, Metropolit had other ideas. Just over three weeks later, he was back on skates, forcing his coach’s hand to insert him into the lineup against the Capitals. After failing to ever reach the second round of the playoffs in any of his four prior postseason appearances, Metropolit helped lead the Habs to the third round of the playoffs this scoring.
Now back in the familiar spot of staring down the possibility of unrestricted free agency as of July 1, Metropolit could be on the move again. Counting Montreal as his seventh NHL address, Metro would like nothing more than to continue to call the Bell Centre home.
Manny Almela is a writer for canadiens.com.
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