Martin St Louis says Slafkovsky, Anderson fit for Game 5
Martin St Louis said Juraj Slafkovsky and Josh Anderson are not compromised for Game 5, easing the Canadiens’ injury watch after Slafkovsky took a solid hit from Max Crozier in the third game. That leaves Montreal with its top forward choices intact as the series reaches its fifth game, while St-Louis weighs whether to keep the same combinations or make major changes.
Slafkovsky and Anderson
Both forwards missed Tuesday’s practice in Brossard, but St-Louis said their presence in the fifth game was not compromised. He also rejected the idea that Crozier’s hit should define the series, saying the Canadiens cannot let one moment take over the matchup.
Slafkovsky’s status had drawn attention because he was harder to notice after his hat trick on the power play in the first game. Anderson’s absence from practice added another question for a coach already deciding whether to stay patient or change his lines.
St-Louis and the forward lines
St-Louis now has 24 hours to keep some possible line changes hidden before Game 5. The choice is straightforward on paper and harder in practice: make drastic changes to revive the attack, or trust the units that helped the Canadiens reach 106 points this season.
He said the same patience and vote of confidence that worked with Kirby Dach can sometimes pay off. That is the backdrop for a team trying to keep its structure while facing a Lightning group that has already found a way to blunt Montreal’s current looks.
Suzuki and the matchup
Nick Suzuki made clear where he wants Slafkovsky. “J'aime jouer avec ces deux gars-là” he said, adding, “On a connu beaucoup de succès et on a tout ce que tu recherches dans un bon trio. C’est à nous d’élever notre jeu.”
The numbers back up the concern. Since the start of the series, Anthony Cirelli’s line has outscored Suzuki’s unit four goals to zero, which puts more weight on St-Louis’s decision about whether to stay with the same forwards or shake them up before the fifth game.
