The Montreal Canadiens will make a lineup change ahead of Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes, with rookie forward Oliver Kapanen officially scratched after a difficult start to the Eastern Conference Final.
Speaking before the game, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis confirmed Kapanen would sit while Joe Veleno enters the lineup. St. Louis said the decision was not solely tied to Kapanen’s costly overtime turnover in Game 2 but pointed toward lineup balance against Carolina’s physical style.
“Kapi's gonna be out tonight, and it's not necessarily for that,” St. Louis said. “We feel like Kapanen brings a lot of heaviness and speed, and I feel like Joey can give us that.”
Kapanen struggled through the opening two games of the series. He has no points in the conference final and finished minus-2 in his last appearance. His failed chip-in during overtime of Game 2 directly led to Nikolaj Ehlers scoring the game-winning goal for Carolina in a 3-2 Hurricanes victory.
The 22-year-old has also struggled throughout the playoffs overall. In seven postseason games, Kapanen has recorded zero goals, zero assists, and a minus-2 rating while moving in and out of Montreal’s bottom six.
That production stands in sharp contrast to his rookie regular season. Kapanen played all 82 games and posted 22 goals with 15 assists for 37 points. He also became one of Montreal’s more reliable defensive forwards, leading rookie forwards with 66 blocked shots.
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Canadiens now return home with the series tied 1-1 after splitting games in Raleigh. Montreal dominated Game 1 in a 6-2 win before Carolina responded with a tighter defensive structure in Game 2, limiting the Canadiens to just 12 shots on goal.
St. Louis still emphasized patience with Kapanen despite the scratch.
"I think for any young players, there's learning moments, whether you're in the lineup, out of the lineup," St. Louis said. "He's a young guy. I'm sure he's gonna keep progressing."
