Martin St-Louis makes a bold Game 2 call with some very surprising scratches

The Canadiens lost Game 1 in Buffalo 4-2, then came to the rink Friday with the same read. No panic. No quick repair job. No veteran rescue button.

Gallagher, Jayden Struble, Patrik Laine and Oliver Kapanen were still on the ice after the main group, a strong hint that Montreal's lineup is staying intact.

That matters most for Gallagher. He is not a spare-part rookie learning playoff tempo. He is a longtime Canadiens winger with a locker room voice and a net-front identity.

But St-Louis is choosing pace, structure and role fit over name value.

The skate told the story visually: Gallagher, Struble, Laine and Kapanen kept working while the projected lineup had already moved through its Game 2 rhythm.

Montreal outshot Buffalo 28-16 in Game 1, yet still gave up 4 goals. That points less to effort and more to details, reads and special-teams damage.

Gallagher has 1 goal in 3 playoff games this spring, but the usage was already flashing warning lights. His ice time fell to 6:21 in Game 5, then 5:39 in Game 6.

That is not a coach easing a veteran into a bigger role. That is a coach trimming the bench before making the scratch public.

Struble's absence is also notable because Montreal is choosing Arber Xhekaj's heavier blue-line look against a Buffalo team that attacks in straight lines.

Laine and Kapanen staying out tells the same story up front. St-Louis is not chasing offense just because the Canadiens trail the series.

Now the pressure shifts to the players who stayed in. If Montreal answers, St-Louis looks patient. If the Canadiens fall behind 2-0, Gallagher becomes the loudest absence in Buffalo.

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