- Juraj Slafkovsky skipped Canadiens practice Tuesday but is in the Game 5 lineup in Tampa
- Slafkovsky has three goals in the series and ranked second on Montreal with 30 goals in the regular season
- Read below for the video of the Crozier hit, Suzuki’s take, and St. Louis telling his team to “rewrite it”
Juraj Slafkovsky is suiting up for Game 5.
The Canadiens forward sat out Tuesday’s practice in Brossard, but head coach Martin St. Louis confirmed Slafkovsky will be in the lineup Wednesday at Benchmark International Arena, per NHL.com. Forward Josh Anderson and defenseman Mike Matheson also missed the session and are expected to play.
Slafkovsky was on the receiving end of Max Crozier’s open-ice check in Game 4, the moment that flipped the contest and let Tampa Bay rally for a 3-2 win to even the series 2-2.
Here is the video of the hit:
He went to the dressing room briefly and returned for the third period, but the Lightning had already wrested control.
Captain Nick Suzuki said Slafkovsky barely saw it coming.
“It was a fast play. I saw it coming from where I was and I was trying to give him a heads-up, but it just was loud in there,” Suzuki said. “He said he saw him coming at the last minute so he could probably brace a little bit. But plays like that happen, and ‘Slaf’s’ a tough guy. So I think he’ll want to go out and make an impact tomorrow.”
Plenty of observers have framed Crozier’s check as a series-defining moment. St. Louis is asking his team to push back.
“If you let that moment define the series, you’re putting yourself in a bad spot,” St. Louis said. “Don’t let moments like that define it. Rewrite it.”
Slafkovsky has three goals in the series, including a hat trick in overtime in Game 1. He ranked second on Montreal with 30 goals during the 82-game regular season and tied for fourth in team points with 73.
The 21-year-old signed an eight-year extension last summer, so the Canadiens have plenty riding on keeping him healthy and producing.
Game 5 drops at 7 p.m. ET in Tampa.
