Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) and left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) wait for a face-off beside each other during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/81170d77-f853-4c28-8bb1-54af10c50010.jpeg] Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) and left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (20) wait for a face-off beside each other during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images After a day off on Monday, the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] were back at practice on Tuesday in readiness for Wednesday night’s game five against the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals]. Patrik Laine was back at practice wearing a regular jersey, indicating he might be nearing a return to play. When Martin St-Louis spoke to the press after the skate, he said Laine was still considered day-to-day but would be travelling to Washington, just like Alexander Carrier, who is also day-to-day. However, the bench boss wasn’t sure if Samuel Montembeault would make the trip. Canadiens' Farm Team To Start Quest For Calder Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-farm-team-to-start-quest-for-calder-cup] Canadiens: Gallagher’s Thank You Gift [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-gallaghers-thank-you-gift] Canadiens: Not So Long Ago It Was 3-1… [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-not-so-long-ago-it-was-3-1] The Canadiens did not call up anyone from the Laval Rocket, so if Alexandre Carrier is not ready to go, Jayden Struble will reintegrate the lineup. Given how shaken up he looked after the Tom Wilson hit, I would be shocked to see Carrier play. The uncertainty about Montembeault making the trip kind of settles the question of who will likely start for the Canadiens. Jakub Dobes should be back in the net for a second consecutive game. The youngster surrendered three goals on 24 shots on Sunday night, ending his day at the office with a .875 save percentage, and looked good aside from a costly hesitation on the game's first goal. As for the Capitals, it’s clear that Logan Thompson will once again be in the net, since he led his team to the first three wins against the Canadiens. In four games, he has a 2.54 GAA and a .912 SP. It would be surprising to see Patrik Laine back in the lineup. The Finnish sniper’s most significant selling point is his ability to score on the power play, but it hasn’t been the case since the start of the playoffs. Furthermore, the newly formed first power play unit featuring Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson was the most significant threat on the ice for the Habs on Sunday night and must remain together. Of course, Laine could always be put on the second unit, but does his five-on-five play warrant inserting him in the lineup instead of Oliver Kapanen, who was centering a line between Joel Armia and Emil Heineman in game four? I’m not entirely sure. So far in the series, Hutson leads all Montreal players with five points in four games, followed by Caufield with four, while Suzuki and Slafkovsky only have two. If the Canadiens hope to remain alive, they’ll need an improved offensive contribution across the board. Meanwhile, Dylan Strome, Anthony Beauvillier, and Alexander Ovechkin lead the hosts with seven, five, and four points, respectively. The Caps’ captain didn’t skate on Tuesday, but that was nothing to write home about as he was taking a maintenance day. Meanwhile, Aliaksei Protas was a full participant at practice and even took contact. Washington didn’t do line rushes, so it’s impossible to know where he would slot in for now. The game is set for 7:00 PM and it’s a do or die tilt for the Habs who are on the brink of elimination. Should the Canadiens lose, it would be David Savard’s last career game, chances are that will be used as motivation by the Habs. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
