NEW YORK | Martin St-Louis talked about juggling with a formation of eleven attackers, but even more after the injury to Jake Evans.
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For the visit to the mythical Madison Square Garden, St-Louis will seek to simplify its life by returning to a traditional formula of twelve attackers and six defenders.
In the absence of Evans, injured in the left knee, the CH will trust Mike Hoffman and Michael Pezzetta. The two attackers had watched the last two meetings from the press bridge.
Jonathan Drouin will find himself in the center of the fourth unit with Evgenii Dadonov and Jesse Ylönen.
“The need is more central right now,” said St-Louis.
Drouin finished the last game against the Islanders on the right wing alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The Quebecer had looked good in that position, but the lack of depth at the center position limits the head coach’s options.
Joel Armia will get another audition on the wing of the first line with the captain and the dangerous scorer.
Encore Montembeault
If the Rangers will trust Igor Shesterkin, the winner of the Vézina trophy last year, the Habs will still turn to Samuel Montembeault.
Montembeault will be in net for his fourth game in a row and the second time in as many nights.
“Monty has been playing well lately and the circumstances are that I have to use him even more,” explained St-Louis. He’s got a window for him with Jake [Allen] who does not play.
At the blue line, Chris Wideman will be left out.
Sans Kreider
In the Rangers camp, Chris Kreider will be missing. The fast left winger will miss a second game in a row.
Gerard Gallant will therefore use Alexis Lafrenière on the left wing of his first unit, with Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko.
“You won’t leave Laffy alone,” Gallant replied when the representative of the Journal asked a question about it. He did well in the last game. There is nothing new to say about the youngster. He plays well, he works and he scored 19 goals last year. We want him to finish with 19 or 20 goals again this season if he can have a good end to the year.”
In 42 games, Lafrenière scored five goals and had 18 points.
Julien Gauthier, who was injured in the last game against the Dallas Stars, will have to be absent.
The likely formation of the Canadian
Caufield-Suzuki-Army
Pezzetta-Dvorak-Slafkovsky
Hoffman-Dach-Anderson
Dadonov-Drouin-Ylönen
Edmundson-Barron
Harris-Savard
Xhekaj-Kovacevic
Montembeault
The probable formation of the Rangers
Lafrenière-Zibanejad-Kakko
Panarin-Trocheck-Kravtsov
Goodrow-Caught-Vesey
Blais-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Harpur-Schneider
Shesterkin
