Canadiens make three key lineup changes for tonight's game in Buffalo
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
We have three more changes to announce, ahead of the game against the Buffalo Sabres, for the Montreal Canadiens.
After the loss in Washington, all eyes were mainly on the power play, which has been heavily criticized in recent hours, particularly due to some questionable decisions by the head coach.
Some wanted changes, and well, it's confirmed!
We have changes!
Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov back on the first power-play unit
It is therefore Alexandre Texier and Noah Dobson who pay the price.
At practice, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson were indeed put back on the first unit, and it shows right away.
When your best rookie leads all rookies with 39 points, you want him touching the puck when it matters.
The message is also clear for the rest of the group.
Martin St-Louis shuffled his deck for an important game in the standings, against a rival from the Atlantic Division.
Kaiden Guhle will return to action against the Sabres
Guhle played again on Saturday, his first game since October 16, after a 39-game absence, before sitting out in Washington.
This brings back a 6-foot-3, 202-pound defenseman into an already busy blue line, and gives the coach more options to manage his pairings.
And now, we get into the concrete reality of the standings. The Canadiens have 59 points in 47 games, while the Sabres have 54 points in 45 games.
Buffalo therefore has two games in hand, and we're talking about a head-to-head that can really shift the landscape.
On top of that, Montreal has won its last five games against Buffalo, a nice little streak that's good to keep alive.
Meanwhile, Hutson continues to produce at the pace of an impact defenseman with 45 points.
Demidov, for his part, leads all rookies with 39 points, and that's exactly why his usage on the power play draws so much attention.
Puck drops tonight at 7 p.m. live from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with Jacob Fowler set to make his 10th start of the season.
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