Canadiens Make Two Last-Minute Changes on Defense, Likely to Please Fans
After an excellent stretch, it has become more difficult defensively for the Montreal Canadiens.
Probably to try to correct the situation, for the first time in a long while, head coach Martin St-Louis made changes to his defensive pairings.
We were able to observe these changes during yesterday's practice, and they seemed to be confirmed this morning as well.
Two changes on defense for Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens
For the first time in a while, the defensive pairings were indeed altered.
Mike Matheson is now paired with Alexandre Carrier, while Lane Hutson is now paired with Kaiden Guhle.
Will this stay the same throughout the entire game tonight? We'll see.
One thing is certain, it will be interesting to see the result of these changes tonight against the powerful Winnipeg Jets.
No changes for the third pairing, which consists of Arber Xhekaj and David Savard.
Guhle - Hutson
Xhekaj - Savard
Of course, let's remember that Samuel Montembeault will be in net for his team.
At 28 years old, 6 feet 3 inches, and 218 pounds, Montembeault has a record of 17-17-3 this season, with an average of 2.99 goals allowed per game and a save percentage of 0.899.
Speaking of the defensive corps, I would really love to see Mike Matheson have a solid game tonight, hoping it might calm some of the criticism.
Matheson, who has 22 points in 47 games this season (with a plus-minus of -6), received some kind words today in Montreal, notably from captain Nick Suzuki and head coach Martin St-Louis.
He is an excellent defenseman, and we're lucky to have him with us.
Details to follow.
