Montreal Canadiens: Ideal Lineup for Round 3

With the third round of the playoffs right around the corner, I can’t help but think about what the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup will look like.

The Canadiens will have had a few days of rest by then, meaning Jeff Petry will probably be back. However, that also means that Alexander Romanov might be scratched again. However, I doubt Jake Evans will be back, so Arturri Lehkonen will most likely stay on the second line with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher.

The Canadiens will be facing the winner of the Colorado Avalanche-Vegas Golden Knights series.

Right now, the Golden Knights lead the series 3-2. They’re on a three-game winning streak and will be back in Las Vegas for Game 6, so they are most likely going to win this series.

Here is my ideal lineup for the Stanley Cup Semifinals:

Toffoli-Suzuki-Caufield
Lehkonen-Danault-Gallagher
Byron-Kotkaniemi-Anderson
Armia-Staal-Perry

Chiarot-Weber
Edmundson-Petry
Kulak-Gustafsson

Price
Allen

I know, that was the lineup before Petry got injured. And as much as I hate to say it, I would scratch Romanov. I was one of the many people who did not comprehend why he was being sidelined in the playoffs, but when I saw what happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs with Rasmus Sandin, I understood that coach Dominique Ducharme was just not willing to take the risk to let Romanov play. And although his playoff debut was fine, I just can’t think about scratching Brett Kulak or Erik Gustafsson after their performance in Game 4, and Gustafsson’s overall performance on the powerplay.

I don’t always believe in the “don’t change a winning lineup” narrative because of lucky wins. But after being this hot and winning seven games in a row, I have to agree and say that the Canadiens should not change their lineup.

Everything seems to be working. Their four lines are producing, they’re getting approximately the same ice time, and are playing well defensively. The defence has also been solid, and that has mostly been because of the top four doing their jobs, blocking shots, and simply making entering the Canadiens’ zone hell.

Now for the goaltender, I don’t think there is much to say. There is no question about Carey Price’s spot in the net. He deserves it and has shown everyone why. However, I will say that if it weren’t for Jake Allen’s performance in the regular season, the Canadiens probably wouldn’t have made the playoffs. But, it is the playoffs now, and Price has just been Price. There is no other way of describing it. I’ve honestly used up all the different ways of saying how incredible, or exceptional, or outstanding, he is, because he just has been this good. I expect the third round to be, yet another, battle of goaltenders, but even closer than it was with Jack Campbell and Connor Hellebuyck.

There is no doubt that the team will need to make adjustments as they advance, but I think it makes the most sense to start with their winning lineup. Now, all we can do is hope they have just enough time to rest without getting rusty.