Weber's return to active duty has definitely helped in that regard. The Canadiens have won 11 of the 17 games he has taken part in since making his regular season debut on November 27, limiting the opposition to 30 shots or less on nine occasions along the way.
"I don't think it's a coincidence," praised Julien. "You're getting your top defenseman back, who's got an unbelievable presence. Not just on the ice, but even off the ice with the team. As a coach, you're happy to have your top leader, which is your captain in the room because he's managing that. When you have a captain who believes and who is going to reiterate what we've talked about [as a coaching staff], what we said in our pre-game meetings, it makes a difference. We've gotten a little better now that our captain is back."
And, Weber's leadership skills really are second-to-none, according to the veteran bench boss.
"He's loyal to his word. He had to wear a Finnish T-shirt today. He lost a bet, so he's a man of his word. I think what you see is what you get with him. Even in the room, there's no doubt that he's a guy that brings people around him. They love being around Shea," added Julien. "He's got a good sense of humor, but he's also a guy that's able to separate the times where you need to have fun coming to work and the times where it's time to do your job, where you need to focus and be serious. He's very good at that. It's easy to follow his lead. That's what you get from Shea."
Taking pride in good results
If Julien is proud of the way his group has gone about their business this season, the same can be said for Weber.
The Canadiens' No. 6 is adamant that this edition of the squad boasts plenty of character.
"We set a belief that we're a playoff team at the start of the year, and so far we're there," said Weber. "We've got a lot of work left, but we're right where we want to be."
In order to keep on trending upward, though, complacency isn't an option.
"I think we need to make sure that we're consistent. Limiting those lulls where you lose a couple of games, two or three games in a row," insisted Weber. "Everything tightens up in the second half. Teams play tighter, defense is a little tighter, and things get tougher. We've got to up our game even more."
And, Weber believes that having a young group in the locker room could prove to be a blessing in the long run.
"You've got to look at it as a positive. Being younger, hopefully guys still have a lot of legs and energy," said Weber. "Maybe the lack of experience will help in the fact that they don't even really know what's coming and the guys with experience can help guide the ship in the right way."
And, Julien is eager to see what his contingent can accomplish going forward.
"Right now, we're in the position that we want to be in. We're in a position to make the playoffs. We're there. The second half will be more difficult. That's why it's important that we continue to grow as a team," explained Julien. "There's a lot of room to improve. That's the chance we'll have in the second half. We'll play against teams with experience who know that this is the time to give everything they've got to earn a playoff spot. It will be important for us to play with that mentality and do the things we have to in order to give ourselves that chance as well."
