Martin St-Louis set to scratch two Canadiens regulars for Game 2 in Carolina
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Two regular players from the Montreal Canadiens will be removed from the lineup tonight at PNC Arena for Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Arber Xhekaj and Joe Veleno will have to give up their spots in the lineup for a second consecutive game in the Eastern Conference Final.Just like Brendan Gallagher, by the way, although unfortunately he can no longer really be described as a “regular player” at this point.
Martin St-Louis keeps his winning lineup from Game 1 against the Hurricanes
The analysis from TVA Sports journalist Nicolas Cloutier remains very relevant here, especially regarding defenseman Struble.
“Jayden Struble played all 3 games against the Hurricanes this season.
In a series that is expected to be less physical, with less scrumming between whistles, it really would not be surprising to see him return.
His mobility will be useful on the third pairing.”
– Nicolas Cloutier
We saw Struble finish the first game with an excellent +2 rating and nearly 15 minutes of ice time, which says a lot about his success to begin this series.
That is precisely the kind of performance that justifies his place in the lineup.
For Arber Xhekaj, however, it is a difficult reality.
The rugged defenseman is seeing his place in the lineup slip away after several weeks as a regular.
His absolutely ridiculous ice time in Game 7 against the Sabres had already hinted at this decision, with only 1 minute and 52 seconds played.
But number 72 showed an exemplary attitude in the locker room, and that is precisely the kind of mentality that could eventually allow him to regain his spot in the lineup.
Now, it remains to be seen whether Struble and Kapanen will continue to deliver tonight against a Carolina team determined not to fall deeper behind in the series.
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Martin St-Louis set to scratch two Canadiens regulars for Game 2 in Carolina
Do you think Martin St-Louis is making the right decisions by continuing to scratch Arber Xhekaj, Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno while keeping Jayden Struble and Oliver Kapanen in the lineup against