Late lineup change by Martin St. Louis just before puck drop
Joe Veleno is set to draw in as Martin St-Louis reshapes the Canadiens lineup for Game 1 against Buffalo.
That's the part that jumps off the page. Brendan Gallagher is expected to come out, which makes this more than a small bottom-six tweak on the eve of puck drop.
Veleno is lined up to make his playoff debut after putting up 5 points in 61 regular-season games. Montreal isn't asking him to carry offense. It wants pace, legs, and a cleaner fit lower in the lineup.
Gallagher scored 1 goal in 3 playoff games, but his usage told the bigger story. He averaged 6:25 a night, and that usually points to a player who is losing ground on the bench.
On the blue line, Arber Xhekaj is also expected back in, with Jayden Struble tracking toward the press box. That gives Montreal more edge and a little more pushback in a series that should get heavy fast.
Xhekaj already has 31 hits in 6 playoff games. That number matters because Buffalo doesn't play a soft game, and St-Louis looks ready to answer that with muscle.
Struble wasn't bad against Tampa Bay. He went through all 7 games, posted a +3 rating, and averaged 10:46, but that role stayed limited from start to finish.
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Martin St. Louis makes late lineup change just before puck drop
This feels like a coach decision built around tone. St-Louis is trying to set the temperature early, not just shuffle names around because it's a new round.
Montreal also comes in riding Jakub Dobes, and that changes the pressure on every skater in front of him. The rookie started all 7 games against Tampa Bay and posted a .923 save percentage.
That kind of goaltending gives a coach room to lean into matchup choices. You can dress a heavier group when your crease is steady and trust the game to stay inside the margins.
The margins were thin all year between these teams. The Canadiens and Sabres split the season series 2-2, and each club scored 13 goals across those 4 games.
Buffalo still arrives with Lindy Ruff behind the bench and a 50-23-9 regular-season record, while Montreal finished 48-24-10. There wasn't much separation, which is why these lineup calls matter right away.
The Canadiens already know this won't be a track meet with easy ice. St-Louis is leaning on Joe Veleno and Arber Xhekaj because he wants a harder lineup before this series has a chance to tilt the other way.
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LIVE
MAY 6, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Josh Doan | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Benson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Bowen Byram | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Cole Caufield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | - | - | |
| Jakub Dobes | - | - | - | |
| Noah Dobson | - | - | - | |
| Jake Evans | - | - | - | |
| Jordan Greenway | - | - | - | |
| Kaiden Guhle | - | - | - | |
| Lane Hutson | - | - | - | |
| Tyson Kozak | - | - | - | |
| Peyton Krebs | - | - | - | |
| Alex Lyon | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||