Canadiens scratch jesperi kotkaniemi from the lineup ahead of Tuesday’s game in Montreal as coach Martin St. Louis keeps selections fluid; the Hurricanes will dress the same group that beat Pittsburgh 5-1 on Sunday. Practice in Brossard began at 10: 30 AM ET and focused on situational work and screened shots as Montreal prepared for the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina. Both teams finalized projected lines while Montréal weighed game-time decisions for the remainder of the regular season.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi Scratched From Canadiens Lineup
The official projected roster lists Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers as scratched for the matchup. Martin St. Louis, head coach, Montreal Canadiens, said his lineup will be a game-time decision for the remainder of the regular season, signaling the club will wait until late to confirm any late changes. On the Hurricanes’ side, Carolina will dress the same forward group it used in its 5-1 win at Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Projected Lineups: Hurricanes Unchanged, Canadiens Adjust
Carolina’s forward group is listed as: Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Seth Jarvis; Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake; Nikolaj Ehlers — Jordan Staal — Jordan Martinook; William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson. Injuries on the Hurricanes’ roster include Shayne Gostisbehere (lower body) and Pyotr Kochetkov (lower body).
Montreal’s projected forwards are shown as: Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky; Alex Newhook — Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov; Alexandre Texier — Jake Evans — Zachary Bolduc; Joe Veleno — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens list injuries to Josh Anderson (upper body), Kirby Dach (upper body) and Patrik Laine (lower body), and have scratched Arber Xhekaj and Samuel Montembeault along with Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Practice Notes, Reactions and What to Watch
Montreal’s morning session in Brossard opened with youngsters Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov on the second ice well before the 10: 30 AM ET start; the pair joined Adam Nicholas at 9: 50 AM ET for early work. At the other end of the rink, Marco Marciano worked with Jacob Fowler on positioning and movement in net before being joined by Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault. The three goalies took part in a positioning drill and later practiced screened shots from distance, with Montembeault serving as the screen for shooting players during part of the session.
Martin St. Louis ran the group through odd-man rushes, defensive transition, three-on-three play and six-on-five scenarios, signaling a focus on tight late-season hockey where teams may pull goaltenders. Practice lasted roughly 40 minutes, and many players stayed on the ice afterward to work on shots and individual skills. Josh Anderson was present but wearing a no-contact jersey, a development that aligns with the notation of an upper-body issue and the expectation he will miss additional games.
Zach Bolduc, forward, Montreal Canadiens, addressed a challenged goal from the previous game: “Honestly, when I scored, I didn’t know there was an offside, but when I got to the bench, they told me that we were most probably offside on the play. I saw Patrick speak to the ref when he challenged for offside. I knew it wasn’t a good sign for me, but there’s no ill intent in his challenge; it was just funny. ” Bolduc added that challenges are part of the game and that he expects his scoring fortunes to improve.
Looking ahead, coaches will confirm final rosters late, with Montreal slated for a morning skate at the Bell Centre on Tuesday before hosting the Hurricanes in the evening; watch for the final activation or absence of jesperi kotkaniemi as the Canadiens make a last-minute decision that could shape their matchup strategy.
