The Canadiens are suddenly making drastic changes in the middle of the series

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Vincent Carbonneau
May 14, 2026  (3:18 PM)

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Photo credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images

Arber Xhekaj and Martin St-Louis are back at the center of Montreal's biggest Game 5 lineup call.

Three Canadiens were already confirmed out of the lineup path Wednesday morning: Brendan Gallagher, Oliver Kapanen, and Patrik Laine were on the ice for the extras skate at KeyBank Center.

That narrowed the real tension down to the blue line. The open question was which defenseman would come out before a swing game against Buffalo.

Early observations only pushed the mystery further. Gallagher, Kapanen, Laine, Cayden Primeau, and Samuel Montembeault were spotted on the ice, but no defenseman took part in the extras session at first.

Then the read got even murkier. Later reporting from rinkside said Xhekaj and Jayden Struble were not present during that availability, leaving Montreal's final defensive look wide open.

That is why this stops being a simple scratch note. Xhekaj barely played Tuesday, so the easy assumption is that he could be the one headed out. But St-Louis still kept the door open enough to make Buffalo wait on the final answer.

Struble is the pressure point in all of this. He has been waiting since the start of the playoffs, and if the Canadiens turn to him now, it is because they think this series needs a different kind of shift on the back end.

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That is the sharp part of the move. St-Louis is not only deciding between two defensemen. He is forcing Lindy Ruff to prepare for two different looks before puck drop.

Xhekaj brings edge, noise, and a presence that can change the temperature fast. Struble offers a fresher option, and sometimes that alone is enough when a series starts tightening. The Canadiens have not tipped which route they prefer.

Gallagher staying out matters too. He scored in his return during the first round against Tampa Bay, but he is still waiting again while Montreal sticks with other forward options.

Kapanen is living the same reality in this round, and Laine remains parked outside the group as well. That gives this story more weight than one blue-line switch. It shows how firm St-Louis is willing to be this deep into the series.

The Canadiens have not locked anything in publicly yet. But the closer this gets to Game 5, the more it feels like Xhekaj is the one sitting on the line between staying in and heading up to the stands.

And that is what makes this such a live call. In a tied playoff series, one hidden lineup move can do more than change a pair. It can change the entire tone of the night.

Previously

Bad news hits Ryan Johnson just hours into his new role with the Canucks

An NHL legend is emerging as a serious candidate for the Leafs coaching job

Stan Bowman may have just revealed too much about Kris Knoblauch

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1 HOUR AGO   |   111 ANSWERS The Canadiens are suddenly making drastic changes in the middle of the series Should Martin St-Louis keep Arber Xhekaj in for Game 5 ?

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