4 Changes the Canadiens Need Game 6

Apr 24, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec (14) shoots on Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

#3. CHANGE THE LINES UP

It’s obvious when you see the last 2 games that the Habs need to alter some of the chemistry on the top 2 lines. It could be that the Ottawa Senators are just great at boxing the Habs forwards out, but even so, they’re not getting the pressure they need to score on Craig Anderson.

After Game 4, I gave my thoughts on what Game 5 lines should look like. I’ve altered these slightly after Game 5 simply because I feel De La Rose needs to be taken out of the lineup. If I were Therrien, the lines for Game 6 would look like this:

• Max Pacioretty – Tomas Plekanec – Brendan Gallagher (18 Min)
• Devante Smith-Pelly – Lars Eller – Alex Galchenyuk (18 Min)
• Dale Weise – David Desharnais – P.A. Parenteau (15 min)
• Brandon Prust – Torrey Mitchell – Brian Flynn (9 min)

These changes would do a few key things:

• Line 1: Pacioretty isn’t skating a well as usual and Gallagher would bring some energy to this line. Both he and Plekanec are quick to the puck, which provides this line with possession, and Gallagher knows how to create traffic in front of the net.
• Line 2: This is a pre-emptive strike to our #1 on this list, but this line has a balance of skill, speed, and toughness. David Desharnais hasn’t played nearly well enough to deserve 20 min per game, so this is a deserved change.
• Line 3: Weise could be what Desharnais needs to get sparked, and having Parenteau’s fresh legs on the other side could help this line out.
• Line 4: Why break up what has been the most consistently dominant line on this team? They’re great and are exactly the energy line the Habs need. No changes needed here.

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