The Montreal Canadiens are set to be facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, after the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-0 yesterday and secured the third spot in the North Division.
The last time the Montreal Canadiens faced the Leafs was in April 1979. That was 42 years ago. Many fans barely remember that time, and some weren’t even born then. For this reason, many (if not all) hockey fans are excited to watch this rivalry in the Playoffs.
The Canadiens will be playing their last regular-season game tonight, which will be their second consecutive game against the Edmonton Oilers.
The output of this game won’t have any impact on the rankings, so we can expect some key players from the Habs to be out of the lineup and resting. In particular, Josh Anderson, who had shortly left the game on Monday as he seemed hurt.
End of The Regular Season for the Montreal Canadiens
This game will mark the end of the season for the Canadiens. The Playoffs will be starting in about a week for the Habs, which gives them plenty of time to rest, practice, and make sure they’re ready to face the first team in the division.
With many top players injured, Head Coach Dominique Ducharme has been trying many line combinations in the hope of finding something that will work.
Tonight would be his last chance to be creative and make a bold change in the lineup. Something I’d like to see would be for him to give young players more icetime.
While it would a huge confidence boost for the Canadiens to get a win before heading into the Playoffs, it’s also important to give young players a chance to show what they’re truly capable of. Centerman Jake Evans was given that chance and proved that he belongs in the lineup for the Playoffs.
Earlier today, the Canadiens recalled Defenceman Xavier Ouellet and Right-Winger Jesse Ylönen from the Laval Rocket, which could mean some younger guys that are regulars in the lineup could be given a chance.
Something I would like to see again tonight would be Cole Caufield on the first line alongside Tyler Toffoli and Nick Suzuki. This line seemed to work well and I didn’t understand why they didn’t stay together longer.
It would also be the perfect opportunity to give a struggling Jesperi Kotkaniemi top minutes, instead of playing Eric Staal over him. We know what Staal brings to the Playoffs, and that is mostly experience and patience.
But Kotkaniemi’s performance in the bubble last season was unforgettable and it would be a good time to let him prove to Ducharme that he also belongs in the Playoffs’ lineup this season. Although he has been struggling, he is still very young and scratching or benching him is probably the last thing he needs, not only for his confidence but also for his play.
As well, Alexander Romanov has been on the third defensive pair for a while now, but tonight could be a good time to let him play with Ben Chiarot again since they seemed to have great chemistry.
Tonight’s matchup will be starting at 5 p.m. EST, and I think we can expect Cayden Primeau to start in net, to allow Jake Allen to rest for the Playoffs.