Renaud Lavoie: Canadiens one win from 2021 series breakthrough
Renaud Lavoie notes the Canadiens are one victory from their first playoff series win since 2021, with Game 6 against Tampa Bay set for the Centre Bell. Montreal carries a 3-2 series lead and can end it at home.
Martin St-Louis said Thursday his players need to play "avec clarté à travers le chaos, avec tout ce qui va se passer sur la glace et dans les estrades". A win would send the Canadiens through; a loss would push the series to Sunday on Tampa Bay's home ice.
Centre Bell Game 6
Montreal has put itself in the best position possible after its 3-2 win in Game 5 at Tampa. Brendan Gallagher scored the opening goal in that game, and Phillip Danault helped protect the narrow lead late.
The Canadiens also have history on their side. They have won 27 of 30 best-of-seven series when leading 3-2, including a 7-1 record in series-clinching Game 6s on home ice. In Stanley Cup playoff history, the team that wins Game 5 in a tied 2-2 series goes on to win 79% of the time.
Montreal Line Changes
St-Louis has also adjusted his forward combinations. Josh Anderson moved onto Juraj Slafkovsky's spot on the right wing of the first line after Tuesday's changes, while Slafkovsky reunited with Ivan Demidov on a second unit centered by Jake Evans after Oliver Kapanen was scratched.
Those changes come after Montreal's top offensive trio of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Slafkovsky has produced only one even-strength assist since the series began, with Suzuki providing the lone one. By contrast, the Kirby Dach, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier line has scored six of the Canadiens' last eight goals and has not been on the ice for a Tampa Bay goal.
Caufield Before Game 6
Cole Caufield described the pressure of the moment a few hours before Game 6: "C’est les séries, c’est serré sur la glace. Il faut remporter chacune de ses présences, que ce soit de ne pas lâcher sa couverture d’un rival, ou encore d’en semer un". He added: "C’est ce qui rend ce temps de l’année à la fois si spécial et difficile. Je dois continuer de faire les bonnes choses, continuer de me battre."
Tampa Bay has already shown it can extend a series from the same position. In its history, the Lightning has trailed 3-2 in 10 series, tied the set, and then won four times. The Canadiens now need one clean game at the Centre Bell to avoid giving that path another chance.
