Montreal Canadiens send a clear Game 5 clue regarding Brendan Gallagher's return
Photo credit: © David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Brendan Gallagher draws closer to Game 5, and the Montreal Canadiens just raised the pressure on Oliver Kapanen.
Martin St. Louis rarely gifts lineup answers in the playoffs.
This one still speaks loudly.
Gallagher skipped the optional skate in Tampa, while Kapanen skated with the extras before Game 5.
That usually means one thing.
"The Canadiens players skating this morning in Tampa: Fowler, Montembeault, Veleno, Laine…and Kapanen.
Gallagher could (should) therefore play tonight."
- Luc Gélinas
Gallagher could (should) therefore play tonight."
- Luc Gélinas
Montreal is tied 2-2 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and this is not a nostalgia move.
Gallagher's 7-16-23 season was quiet, but his value tonight is different.
He hunts rebounds, drags defenders low, and makes goalies fight through traffic.
You can see the lineup clue in real time, with Kapanen among the scratches and Gallagher absent from that group.
Brendan Gallagher Changes The Montreal Canadiens Bet
Fans are right to feel torn, because Kapanen brought youth and pace, but Gallagher brings playoff discomfort.
Kapanen is 22, a 2021 second-round pick by the Canadiens, and his development still matters.
Tonight is about survival.
The bigger issue is Montreal's top-six silence at five-on-five.
Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Newhook, Ivan Demidov, and Kapanen have not punished Tampa enough there.
Gallagher can shift that math without needing a highlight-reel goal.
He can park at the crease, extend a forecheck, and pull a Lightning defender away from Demidov's hands.
If Jake Evans slides into a more skilled support role, Montreal gets cleaner faceoffs and simpler retrievals.
That could give Demidov more touches in the offensive zone.
Marty St. Louis is not chasing sentiment here.
He is chasing one greasy goal in a series where one bounce may decide home-ice control.
Gallagher's return puts Kapanen in the hot seat now, not long term.
For Montreal, Game 5 is the next proof point, and Gallagher has one night to make the call look ruthless, not romantic.
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