Jeff Petry logging big minutes

MONTREAL - To say that Jeff Petry has stepped up in captain Shea Weber's absence is an understatement, and he did just that once again on Monday night.

In addition to scoring a goal and collecting an assist, Petry logged 33:51 of ice time against the Washington Capitals. That's a career-high for the veteran blueliner in the NHL ranks.

It marked the second time in Petry's career that he crossed the 30-minute plateau in a single outing. The last time was back on February 10, 2017, when he logged 30:04 of ice time against the Nashville Predators.
The 30-year-old Michigan State University product is the League's seventh-most utilized defenseman so far this season, having spent 521:34 on the ice. Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild sits atop that category at 543:26.

Petry also ranks second among his fellow blueliners with 83:43 of ice time on the power play. Only Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers is ahead of him by just 11 seconds.
More than just a workhorse
While logging serious minutes for the Habs, Petry has also been a force on offense.
A second-round selection of the Oilers, 45th overall, in 2006, Petry is already half way to his single-season high of 30 assists, which he set last year in 82 games with the Habs.

This time around, Petry has 15 assists through just 21 games, and he ranks seventh among defenseman with 17 points.