The first two games of the Montreal Canadiens versus Washington Capitals series followed a similar script.<\/p>\n
The games were quite close in terms of the score, with neither team mounting more than a one-goal lead during the first 55 minutes each match-up. They also both featured the Habs controlling the shots, while the Capitals held a significant edge in high-danger scoring chances.<\/p>\n
Goaltending has been relatively even, with Logan Thompson quickly making his way to the top 5 goaltenders in the playoffs in terms of goals saved above expected, with Samuel Montembeault on his heels.<\/p>\n
In other words, given their discrepancy in points during the regular season, it has been a hard-fought series between two teams that have yet to establish any semblance of sustainable dominance.<\/p>\n
However, Game 1 and 2 have brought several issues to the forefront for the Canadiens.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s far from surprising.<\/p>\n
These playoffs should be seen as a bonus for a team that is not done rebuilding, but it\u2019s certainly telling.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear Montreal needs to find a solution from a defensive standpoint, with the Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle pairing forming the team\u2019s only strong combination the back-end.<\/p>\n
And as we all knew coming into the series, the Canadiens still need to figure out the long-standing issue on the second line, a situation that most expected to be solved during the summer, connoting that head coach Martin St-Louis is dealing with limited options as his team dips its icy toes in the waters of playoff hockey.<\/p>\n
ON TOPIC: NHL Free Agency \u2013 Top UFAs Centres to Play With Ivan Demidov in 2025-26<\/a><\/p>\n Montreal Canadiens\u00a0 Looking Forward<\/p>\n Prior to puck drop in Game 2, St-Louis opted to drop newcomer Ivan Demidov to the fourth line, while promoting Joel Armia to play alongside Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine in the top six.<\/p>\n Before we really dive into the situation, it should be noted that the \u2018second line\u2019 in question doesn\u2019t always get the second-most ice time. In the interest of clarity, we\u2019re going to keep calling it the second line, while referring to the veterans (Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Christian Dvorak) as the third line.<\/p>\n Demidov had a great NHL debut<\/a>, but it\u2019s also fair to say things are moving very quickly out there, and it\u2019s a herculean task to learn on the fly in the playoffs. The first playoff game was a little much for the 19-year-old forward, as he struggled to find open ice. He was far from the only member of that line to have a tough night. Laine\u2019s play at 5v5 continues to be an issue, Alex Newhook struggles mightily on face offs, and all the players who have been used on the second line in the past have failed to meet expectations.<\/p>\n Simply put, it wasn\u2019t a Demidov issue, as much as a roster construction issue.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s to be expected when a rebuilding team makes a surprise appearance in the playoffs.<\/p>\n But once St-Louis, who rarely makes in-game modifications, decided to mix things up, a door opened that could lead to very interesting results for the second line, the Canadiens as a whole, as well as Demidov.<\/p>\n