Several lineup changes: 4 players are involved
Cole Caufield being ruled out tonight, before Canadiens vs Senators, is a punch in the gut for the Montreal Canadiens and their top line.
It hits different because this one came fast. You wake up thinking it's a normal game day, then the lineup flips.
Renaud Lavoie reports Alexandre Texier is in, Caufield is out. That is a massive swap when you are trying to keep your offense humming.
Texier can skate and he can help, but nobody replaces Caufield's release on the fly. The room has to score by committee now.
This game already had edge written all over it. Ottawa and Montreal never play a quiet one, especially this late in the season.
Here's the Caufield-Texier update.
The blue line changes too, and it's the kind of decision that gets fans talking. Jayden Struble draws in, Arber Xhekaj sits.
Here's the Xhekaj-Struble note.
On paper, it's one forward and one defender. In reality, it changes how Martin St-Louis can manage the bench when the game turns nasty.
Caufield has been the Canadiens' finishing touch all year. He's sitting on 37-27-64 through 63 games, and those goals tilt game plans.
Ottawa can now cheat a little less toward that right-side one-timer. That means Nick Suzuki and the rest of the top-six need more net drives and second chances.
Cole Caufield absence tests Montreal Canadiens grit
If you're a Habs fan, this is the exact moment where you mutter, «Not tonight,» and then you watch anyway because you have to.
Texier's job is simple, keep plays alive and get to the paint. He has 7-12-19 this season, and Montreal will take any spark it can get.
The Struble part matters too. He was drafted in 2019, second round, by Montreal, and he plays a calmer, tighter game when the staff wants cleaner exits.
That likely means fewer chaos shifts, but it also means Ottawa's forecheck cannot be met with Xhekaj's usual intimidation. It's a gamble on structure over fear.
The bigger backdrop is standings pressure. Montreal enters Wednesday at 35-18-10, Ottawa at 32-22-9, and every point feels like a playoff swing.
If the Canadiens survive this without Caufield, it says a lot about their identity. If they don't, it becomes the kind of absence you feel for weeks, not hours.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 11|33 ANSWERS Several lineup changes: 4 players are involved Will the Montreal Canadiens win tonight without Cole Caufield? | ||
| Yes | 28 | 84.8 % |
| No | 5 | 15.2 % |
| List of polls | ||