canadiens Coach St. Louis shakes Up Lineup,Sits Laine in Crucial Game 2 Loss
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis made a series of bold lineup decisions in the third period of Game 2 against the Capitals, notably benching high-profile forward Patrik Laine. The Canadiens ultimately fell 3-1, raising questions about the team’s offensive strategy and playoff viability.
game 2: A Period of Change, A Familiar Result
- The Setup: Facing the Washington Capitals in Game 2, the Canadiens sought to even the series.
- The Shift: St. Louis opted to shorten his bench in the third period, limiting ice time for several forwards.
- The Outcome: Despite the adjustments, the Canadiens were unable to mount a comeback, losing 3-1.
The Benchings: Laine, Armia, and Heineman See Limited Action
patrik Laine, known for his scoring prowess, was a surprising omission from the Canadiens’ lineup in the third period. He did not receive a single shift in the final frame. Joel Armia and emil Heineman also saw their ice time significantly reduced, combining for just three shifts.
Did You Know?
Shortening the bench in hockey is a common strategy when a coach wants to rely on their top players in a critical situation. It involves giving fewer players more ice time, theoretically increasing the chances of scoring.
The trio of Scandinavian forwards played a combined 1:39 of ice time in the third period. St. Louis chose to double-shift first-line forwards Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Suzuki logged 23:58 of total ice time, surpassing every Capitals player except John Carlson, who played 24:10.
st.Louis Explains His Choices
Following the game, St. Louis addressed his lineup decisions:
The guys that I leaned on in the third, I thought they did a great job.as a coach, you make those decisions. You have this gut feeling, and I felt like the group responded when we shortened the bench, and I felt like it gave us a chance. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the next goal, but I felt like it was there, just didn’t quite capitalize.
Martin St. Louis, Canadiens Head Coach
Armia finished with a game-low 7:27 of ice time, while Heineman played just 7:39. Laine’s total ice time was 10:10, including 3:07 on the power play.
laine’s Struggles at Five-on-Five
Laine’s effectiveness at five-on-five has been a concern for the Canadiens. In 18:28 of five-on-five ice time across the first two games,the Canadiens have struggled:
- Shot attempts: 39.9 percent
- Expected goals: 12.1 percent
- scoring chances: 23 percent
- high-danger chances created: 0
Conversely, the Capitals have generated 11 high-danger chances and outscored the Canadiens 2-0 with Laine on the ice.
One of those goals occurred in overtime of game 1 after Laine’s line iced the puck, leaving Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, unchecked in front of goaltender sam Montembeault.
Pro Tip
Expected goals (xG) is an advanced statistic that measures the quality of a scoring chance. A lower xG percentage suggests that a player or team is not generating high-quality scoring opportunities.
Capitals’ physical Play Impacts Canadiens
The Capitals have adopted a physical style of play against the Canadiens,who are generally smaller and less experienced. While Laine is one of Montreal’s larger players, he is not known for his physicality.
In game 2, Laine delivered one hit on Lars Eller but was on the receiving end of the collision.
Canadiens’ Offensive Woes
through two games, the Canadiens have managed only two five-on-five goals. Brendan Gallagher, Josh anderson, Christian Dvorak, and Nick Suzuki are the only forwards with points on those goals, each with one point.
Laine’s offensive production during the regular season was primarily on the power play, where 15 of his 20 goals were scored. This ranked third in the NHL, one more than alex Ovechkin (14). However, power-play opportunities have been scarce in the postseason, with Montreal receiving only two in each game against Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was Laine benched?
- Coach St. Louis cited a
gut feeling
and a desire to spark the team by shortening the bench. - How did Laine perform in the regular season?
- Laine scored 20 goals, with the majority coming on the power play.
- What’s next for the Canadiens?
- The Canadiens need to adjust their offensive strategy and find ways to generate more scoring chances at five-on-five.
