Three changes Dominique Ducharme can make ahead of Game 4.

Three players that could make a difference.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Three changes Dominique Ducharme can make ahead of Game 4.
David Kirouac/CSM/Zuma

The Montreal Canadiens have been unable to solve the riddle that has been the Tampa Bay Lightning in this Stanley Cup Final and as a result they find themselves down 0 -3 in the series in spite of the fact that they have at times managed to outplay the Lightning for periods of time. This has led many to look for solutions as to how the Canadiens, who went on an incredible underdog run just to get to this point, could solve the riddle and orchestrate the reverse sweep that they will need to get back in the series.

Unfortunately for the Habs at this time of year teams are very limited in the kind of moves that they can make, but fortunately for the Canadiens they are in a position where they do actually have some decent options they could turn to on their roster. Three names in particular stand out as far as players that could help the Canadiens in Game 4 are concerned, and frankly I wouldn't be at all surprised if one or even more of these players did end up in the lineup on Monday.

#1 Alexander Romanov.

The dynamic Canadiens defenseman had a solid rookie season for the Canadiens and was a constant fixture of their blue line during the regular season. He made 54 appearances for the Habs this year recording 1 goal and 5 assists, but for whatever reason Romanov has largely been kept on the sidelines in these playoffs. His high energy and physical style of play could prove valuable to the Canadiens if utilized correctly, but I can see why the Canadiens have opted to go with more stable and more experienced veterans so far in these playoffs.

#2 Tomas Tatar.

One of the big issues for the Canadiens in this series has been the outstanding play of Lightning star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning netminder is making a strong case for the Conn Smythe and there's no doubt that he has outplayed Carey Price in this series so far, and the Canadiens need a way to change that. Tatar could be that solution should the 30 year old Slovakian be injected into the lineup. Although relatively far removed from his goal sniping days with the Detroit Red Wings, Tatar still has a scoring touch and that could prove invaluable in a series where goals have not come easy for the Habs.

#3 Brett Kulak.

I suspect that Romanov might be the more likely choice come Monday night but if Ducharme wants to continue to stick with his more stable and steady approach on the blue line he could instead opt to go with the veteran Kulak. The 27 year old Canadian defenseman has appeared sparingly for the Canadiens throughout these playoffs with 11 games under his belt already during this run to the final so it would not be much of a surprise at all to see Ducharme turn to him again for Game 4.

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