Alexandre Texier Headline Placeholder

Alexandre Texier is not part of the Canadiens story here; the real update is that Juraj Slafkovsky, Josh Anderson, and Mike Matheson missed Tuesday practice before Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. Martin St. Louis said Slafkovsky and Anderson will be available, leaving Montreal to manage the short turn from practice to playoff puck drop.

Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday

The Canadiens held practice on Tuesday, but those three skaters did not go through the session with the team. Slafkovsky and Anderson are still in line to play Game 5, while Matheson skated with Noah Dobson before the club’s official practice.

Slafkovsky’s season line gives Montreal a reason to keep him close to the top of the lineup. He has three goals in four playoff games, and he set career highs in the regular season with 30 goals, 43 assists, and 73 points in 82 games.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Josh Anderson

Anderson has been productive in the series too, with two goals and a plus-2 rating in four playoff games. During the 2025-26 regular season, he finished with 14 goals and 23 points in 72 games.

That puts Montreal in a narrow window ahead of Wednesday’s Game 5. Two of the absentees remain available, which keeps the lineup from losing more than one regular contributor before the puck drops against Tampa Bay.

Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson

Matheson’s pre-practice skate with Dobson separated him from the other two absences. In four playoff games against Tampa Bay, he has one assist, and he closed the 2025-26 regular season with seven goals, 30 assists, 37 points, and a plus-9 rating in 78 games.

For Montreal, the immediate concern is simple: hold the group together for Game 5 without turning Tuesday’s practice absences into a wider problem. Slafkovsky and Anderson remain part of that plan, and Matheson’s status will be tracked through the final stretch before Wednesday.