Canadiens Seek More Offense from Bottom Six
Martin St-Louis is exploring ways to boost offensive output from the Montreal Canadiens' bottom six forwards by making a straightforward lineup change. He swapped Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher during practice in Brossard on Monday morning.
Lineup Changes
St-Louis shifted Gallagher off his veteran line, pairing him again with Kirby Dach and Zack Bolduc. This move placed Joe Veleno alongside Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. While not dissatisfied with these lines, St-Louis hopes the switch will lead to increased scoring:
“I’m happy with their intentions and the way they play the game, but I want to see if this swap can generate more offense.”
Performance Before the Swap
- Gallagher played the first five games with Dach and Bolduc, recording four points out of his season total of six.
- Bolduc contributed four points in those five games, and Dach earned two of his three points during this period.
- Evans and Anderson started the season with Patrik Laine for five games but did not score, as Laine’s unpredictability affected their usual direct style of play.
Summary
St-Louis aims to ignite the bottom six's offense with this tactical swap, balancing player chemistry and game style to maximize scoring chances.