Kapanen Out, Veleno In for Game 3 — Habs Canes

habs canes got a lineup change Monday, with Oliver Kapanen coming out for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final and Joe Veleno stepping in. Montreal made the switch against Carolina before a pivotal night in the series.

St. Louis Alters Montreal’s Look

Martin St. Louis said the move was not just about Kapanen’s critical turnover in Game 2. “Kappy is going to be out tonight and it’s not necessarily for that,” he said Monday.

He pointed to the matchup as the bigger issue. “We feel like Carolina brings a lot of heaviness and speed and I feel like Joey can give us that.”

The Canadiens are asking Veleno to fill a different role after Kapanen’s run through the postseason. Kapanen played in seven of Montreal’s 16 playoff games, but he had no points, a minus-2 rating, and averaged just under eight and a half minutes of ice time.

Veleno Gets Montreal Slot

Veleno arrives with a different playoff line. He had no goals and one assist in six playoff games, along with a minus-1 rating and just over nine and a half minutes of ice time.

His regular-season work gives Montreal one reason for the switch. In 61 games with the Canadiens, Veleno had two goals, three assists, and five points, and he won 51.6% of his faceoffs over the regular season.

Kapanen’s season profile was much heavier on offense in the regular season, where the 22-year-old played all 82 games and posted 22 goals, 15 assists, and 37 points. Monday’s decision instead leaned toward the traits St. Louis said he wanted against Carolina’s pace and physical play.

Game 2 Turn Leads Change

The move also follows Saturday’s Game 2, when Kapanen’s failed dump-in led to a quick Hurricanes counterattack and Nikolaj Ehlers’ overtime winner. That sequence put his puck decision under a brighter light heading into Game 3.

For Montreal, the change is simple on paper and sharper on the ice: Veleno gets the job in a series tied to tempo, heaviness, and margin for error. Against Carolina, that is the assignment now.