The Montreal Canadiens let another game slip through their grasp in this series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After giving up a lead late in Game 2, the Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead in Game 4, and head coach Martin St. Louis might have no choice but to make some significant line changes.
For the Canadiens, the biggest concern is their inability to generate scoring chances in 5v5 situations. Over the final 25 regular season games, the Canadiens were eighth in the league in goals scored with 56 and averaged 2.24 goals per game and 21.44 scoring chances per game, according to Natural Stat Trick.
However, through the first four games of this series, the Canadiens have only 1.5 goals per game and 12.5 scoring chances in 5v5 situations.
When looking ahead to Game 5, the Canadiens' coaching staff will need to make some changes, and it will start with their top line. They will not advance in this series if they are not getting production from Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki in 5-on-5 situations.
Montreal Canadiens need bold line changes to spark 5v5 production
Wing | Center | Wing |
|---|---|---|
Cole Caufield | Nick Suzuki | Josh Anderson |
Ivan Demidov | Oliver Kapanen | Juraj Slafkovsky |
Zachary Bolduc | Kirby Dach | Alexandre Texier |
Alex Newhook | Phillip Danault | Jake Evans |
Starting in the regular season and through the first four games of this series, Juraj Slafkovsky has been on the top line. It makes sense to move him off that line to hopefully bring some balance to the rest of the lineup while giving the Lightning a different look.
The Canadiens have some options with this third player and could make an easy swap of Alex Newhook and Slafkovsky. This would give the Canadiens their "Kid Line" back from earlier this season with Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen, and Ivan Demidov, and these three combined for the second most xGoals For at 16.1, according to MoneyPuck.
The return of the "Kid Line" makes sense and is something that St. Louis should prioritize, but Newhook actually shouldn't be the player on the top line in place of Slafkovsky. If the Canadiens want to go bold, then it should be Josh Anderson on the top line.
The veteran forward has been one of the best players in these entire Stanley Cup Playoffs with a goal in each of the first two games. However, what makes this a good fit is that he brings physicality to that top line and can draw some of the attention away from Caufield and Suzuki.
In this scenario, the Canadiens can keep the line of Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Alexandre Texier together after two productive games in Game 3 and Game 4. Then the final line for the Canadiens would be Alex Newhook, Phillip Danault, and Jake Evans.
Moving forward with these last two lines, it also gives the Canadiens options of getting Brendan Gallagher or Joe Veleno into the lineup. Both players have been healthy scratches through the first four games, but could replace Dach or Evans as another way to shake up the lines.
Regardless of what the Canadiens do, they can't go into Game 5 with the same lines. They have made some subtle tweaks along the way, but the pressure is on to make big changes that can swing momentum back into their favor heading into a must-win game.
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