MONTREAL (AP) — Montreal’s Patrik Laine is out for Friday’s Game 3 of the Canadiens’ first-round playoff series against Washington due to an upper-body injury.
Laine missed the team’s morning skate, and the Canadiens said he will be evaluated daily.
Laine’s absence comes after coach Martin St. Louis benched the 27-year-old winger for the third period of Wednesday’s Game 2 3-1 loss after a difficult first two periods for the Finnish forward.
Kasperi Kapanen replaced Laine, while defenseman Arber Xhekaj was inserted into the lineup for Jayden Struble.
The Capitals lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
The 27-year-old Laine, known for his dangerous shot, hasn’t scored in his last seven games.
The Canadiens acquired Laine and a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for defenseman Jordan Harris.
Laine had 20 goals – including 15 on the power play – and 13 assists in 52 games this season after missing the first two months with a knee injury.
“We have some guys battling things, so we’ll see what we start with tonight,” St. Louis said earlier Friday. “Obviously in a series, during games, you make adjustments. That’s part of a best-of-seven.”
Montreal is hosting its first playoff game in front of a sold-out crowd since 2017. The Canadiens played in an empty, or reduced-capacity, Bell Centre during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Copyright © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
