The day after the Montreal Canadiens’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, Martin St-Louis and his men practiced at Capital One Arena before meeting the media. Brendan Gallagher wasn’t at practice but linemate Josh Anderson and St-Louis said the veteran would be fine. Don’t expect Oliver Kapanen to make his playoff debut tomorrow; he was only filling in for the alternate captain’s absence.
There were no other changes to the lineup besides Kapanen's presence, and it doesn’t look like the pilot is considering dressing anyone new, even if the Canadiens were physically dominated.
Unsurprisingly, numerous questions during his media availability tried to get him to talk about Arber Xhekaj, but he wasn’t forthcoming. Asked what his thought process was when it came to making lineup modifications, he explained:
Well, you watch the game, try to see where you can improve, and if you believe it’s an individual, you can make a change. But the game is tomorrow, so today, we’re gathering all the information and we’ll be making the decisions.
That question was followed up by another asking him what the best way would be to adjust to a team that hits that much:
If I had the answer, I wouldn’t give it to you. For me, in the playoffs, X’s and O’s are part of it, but it’s also a mindset and an attitude you need, and I know we have it.
Another reporter opted for a more direct approach, asking if Xhekaj could be an interesting addition to the lineup to counter Washington’s physicality, and he stated: "Well, he’s on our roster."
That wasn’t enough for the press, and he was then asked what the pros and cons of bringing the gritty defender into the fold would be. He explained:
Well, you have to take someone out as well, what do you gain and lose…I don’t think it would change Wilson’s style of play.
Finally, when he was asked about the composition of his defense and why he felt he could keep rolling with it as it was, he ended up saying:
I know what you guys are trying to get me to answer. I don’t know. I have Xhekaj; it’s a card. I might play him, but I don’t know yet. You know, it’s good to have.
This comes from the coach who asked in December: “Why would I listen to critics from someone I wouldn’t go to for advice?” before adding: “It’s part of the market, but it’s not going to change what I do. It’s not going to make me upset. “
No matter how many times the question is put to St-Louis, it will never make him change his mind about his lineup. From what he said on Tuesday, he doesn’t believe the increased physicality Xhekaj would bring is enough to offset the risk of seeing him over-commit to a hit or make a questionable read.
Since the 4 Nations Face-Off, it's true that Xhekaj has struggled. While he was present on the ice, the Habs have scored four goals and surrendered nine. As for shots attempted, the opponents had a 259-173 edge. Oftentimes, the big defender tends to forget about the puck and chase the big hit, but after watching nine of the last 10 regular season games from the press gallery, he may just have learned his lesson.
Jayden Struble skated for 14 minutes on Monday night, and David Savard for 11; those are both workloads the number 72 could handle. If the decision were up to me, I’d be scratching Savard even though he plays on the penalty killing. He is slower than he was last season, and this blueline has to get ready for the post-Savard era, but I doubt St-Louis would want to do that; he might see it as disrespecting a vet.
If Xhekaj does come in, it will be for Struble, but I don’t feel St-Louis will want to go down that road just yet. Buckle up, Habs fans. Game two promises to be just as hard and physical as game one was, and it doesn’t look like there will be reinforcements.
The puck is set to drop at 7:00 PM on Wednesday night, and the Canadiens should see this as a must-win duel. Going back to the Bell Centre down 2-0 would be far from ideal, and it would leave the Habs with very little breathing room.
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