Martin Saint Louis Faces D’Astous Return in Game 6

martin saint louis got a direct answer on Charle-Édouard D’Astous before Game 6. The Lightning defenseman is expected to play Friday night at the Centre Bell after being injured on a hit from Josh Anderson in the first game of the series.

Jon Cooper told journalists to “se présenter” to the game if they wanted the status. That leaves D’Astous in position for a playoff return one week after the injury and in front of a Montreal crowd that has already seen this series go the distance once.

Centre Bell Awaits D’Astous

D’Astous said he was “Je suis un peu nerveux, je suis humain après tout” and added, “Si j’ai à jouer, j’ai super hâte et je suis prêt.” He also said his mother and brother were coming from Rimouski to attend the game, turning his first likely appearance at the Centre Bell into a family trip as well as a playoff assignment.

The 28-year-old defenseman has established himself in the NHL after going undrafted, and Game 6 would be his second playoff match and his first at the Centre Bell. That is the kind of setting that can compress a young postseason résumé into one night.

Lightning Blue Line Choices

D’Astous did not carry the hit from Anderson into a grudge. He called it “C’était dommage, ça fait partie du jeu.” He also said Anderson hits a lot but never with the intention to injure, and that the Lightning forwards needed to slow him down when he came on the forecheck.

Victor Hedman practiced with his teammates but was not expected to return Friday, while Nick Paul was sick in the last game and was expected to reclaim his place. That keeps the Lightning’s lineup in motion even with D’Astous trending toward a return.

Seven-Game Series Pressure

The Canadiens beat the Lightning 2-1 on Sunday in Game 7, closing a tightly contested first-round series that had already reached a seventh-game level of intensity before ending. Montreal’s viewing party at the Centre Bell was sold out that night, and the building will be back at the center of the next test.

For Tampa Bay, D’Astous’s status is the clearest lineup change to track before puck drop. If he goes, the Lightning add another defenseman against a Canadiens team that has already forced the series into one extra layer of pressure.