The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a familiar position: a tied series at 2-2, this time against the Buffalo Sabres. But while history might suggest coach Martin St-Louis is ready to shake things up, the situation feels different this time around.
In their first-round clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning, St-Louis famously made bold lineup changes after the Bolts evened the series, calling on Brendan Gallagher to inject some energy. However, with the Sabres presenting a faster, more open style of play, turning to the veteran winger seems unlikely. Gallagher's grit is undeniable, but his speed may not match the pace of this matchup.
Despite the series being tied, the Canadiens have largely been the stronger team across four games. That makes sweeping changes less necessary, especially compared to the Tampa series. The team's performance doesn't scream for a shake-up—at least not for the same reasons.
Looking at ice time from the last game doesn't offer clear clues, mostly due to a parade of penalties that skewed minutes. Joe Veleno logged under seven minutes, while Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc each saw less than 10. For Dach and Bolduc, this isn't a reflection of poor play; it's just the chaos of a penalty-filled night.
One intriguing possibility is Oliver Kapanen. The Finnish center scored two goals in four regular-season games against the Sabres and would bring fresh legs, having not played since Game 4 against Tampa. With more open ice against Buffalo than the Lightning offered, Kapanen could be a sneaky addition.
On defense, Arber Xhekaj saw only 3:46 of ice time over six shifts on Tuesday. Some analysts worry St-Louis might bench him out of caution, especially given his physical style. But with the series tied, the coach may prefer to stick with his core group rather than overreact.
For now, expect the Canadiens to roll with a similar lineup, trusting their game plan rather than chasing changes. After all, being the better team for most of the series suggests the answers might already be on the ice.