Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have adjusted to significant absences in their defensive lineups. This situation has provided an opportunity for younger players to step up and make an impact during the playoffs.
Lightning Adapt to Absences
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been managing the absence of defenseman Victor Hedman throughout the season. Hedman missed 49 games due to injuries and personal reasons. Other key defenders, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak, also faced notable absences, with McDonagh missing 34 games and Cernak 21 games.
In light of these challenges, the emergence of the defensive pair J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh has proved beneficial. They compiled an impressive expected goal rate of 61.6%. This statistic ranks them as the highest-performing pairing out of 46 duos that played a minimum of 500 minutes at five-on-five during the regular season.
As of the playoffs, Moser and Raddysh have continued their strong performance, generating 61.9% of expected goals over 30:45 shared ice time against Montreal. Recently, Moser made history by scoring the first overtime winner in his playoff debut, marking a significant milestone for the Lightning.
Canadiens Face Challenges Without Dobson
Conversely, the Canadiens are grappling with the absence of defenseman Noah Dobson, who sustained an injury in the 80th game of the regular season. The Canadiens only have one other right-handed defenseman available, Alexandre Carrier, who now plays alongside Mike Matheson on the top shutdown pair.
- Matheson and Dobson logged 942:30 minutes at five-on-five, ranking 10th among defense pairs.
- Carrier averaged 5.64 puck-battle wins per 60 minutes, ranking 19th among 215 defensemen.
In Game 1 against Tampa Bay, Carrier’s effort in the offensive zone directly contributed to a goal by forward Josh Anderson. However, despite their efforts, Carrier and Matheson have faced challenges against the Lightning’s top forwards, being significantly out-attempted during their shifts.
Hutson Takes on Expanded Role
With Dobson unavailable, Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson has increased his ice time significantly. He is averaging 30:30 minutes through two overtime games, leading all players in puck possession time with 6:59. His partner Kaiden Guhle supports him, although they have been on the receiving end of a 2-0 score against the Lightning.
Coach Martin St. Louis commended the resolve of his young defensemen. “Collectively, all our defensemen need to step up,” he stated while acknowledging Hutson’s increased visibility due to his ice time.
Dominant Defensive Pairing
Montreal’s best-performing defensive unit has been the pairing of Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj. They have excelled against Tampa Bay’s lower lines, allowing only nine shot attempts while generating 24 attempts themselves at five-on-five.
Overall, Coach St. Louis remains optimistic about his team’s performance despite the challenges faced. “We battled hard in Game 2,” he noted, expressing confidence in his team’s gameplay and resilience.
