Canadiens might want to unleash secret weapon Gonchar in Game 5
Sergei Gonchar might be a few years past his prime, but he has fresh legs, and considering the beating the Canadiens defense has taken throughout this series, fresh legs are a great thing to have ahead of Friday's Game 5. Gonchar also boasts some offensive skill, as he posted 14 points in 45 games this season.
According to The Hockey Writers, Gonchar could fit in as a Game 5 replacement for Greg Pateryn (who suffered a facial injury in Game 4) or as a replacement for Tom Gilbert (whose blue-line blunder in his own zone led to Ottawa's game-winning goal in Game 4).
"The one key difference between Game 4 and the rest of the season up to this point was that, in Game 4, the Canadiens didn’t have a lead to hold onto," Ryan Szporer of The Hockey Writers wrote. "Gonchar can help out in that regard, at least come Game 5, with extra motivation likely to come playing against his former team."
(h/t The Hockey Writers)
Photo by Rick Osentoski, USA Today
