Cole Caufield on the second line: Antoine Roussel’s idea

Félix Forget
Cole Caufield on the second line: Antoine Roussel’s idea
Credit: Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images

The Canadiens' top six have been struggling since the start of their series against the Lightning. I'm not telling you anything new here.

That said, the team can afford to be patient and wait for the players to turn things around less and less. After all, if the team loses two of its next three games, its season will be over.

So, in today's episode of the Sortie de zone podcast, the topic of line combinations sparked some discussion. The idea of moving Juraj Slafkovský back to Ivan Demidov's line—a combination that has worked in the past—was brought up… but Antoine Roussel has a different idea in mind.

The analyst mentioned that he would put Alex Newhook on the first line to replace… Cole Caufield.

He'd like to see Demidov paired with a 50-goal scorer on his line to see how it plays out.

And actually, that's an interesting idea. The problem is that Alex Newhook hasn't exactly had a great run: is he really the solution to get Slaf and Nick Suzuki going again?

Zachary Bolduc, Alexandre Texier, and Kirby Dach would be more logical choices for the first line… except that, in reality, these three guys form a rare trio that works well at 5-on-5 for the Habs.

That said, if you don't want to mess too much with the 5-on-5 lines, it's also possible to make changes elsewhere. And Alexandre Pratt wonders if moving Demidov out of the first power-play unit (in favor of Bolduc or Texier) might be a good idea.

It would give a fresh look to a unit that isn't capitalizing much on its chances… and it would reward players who are playing hard right now.

The loss in Game 4 and the fact that the series is now tied 2-2 give Martin St-Louis a chance to tweak certain aspects of his lineup. And in reality, there are really a lot of possible scenarios on the table right now.

What will it look like on Wednesday night? The answer… probably Wednesday night.


In a nutshell

– Good point.

– Matthew Schaefer won't be going to the World Championships.

– MLS: The Vancouver Whitecaps are considering relocating the franchise unless a savior steps forward soon.

– News from La Victoire.

– They won by a score of 6-2.

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