As the Montreal Canadiens head into a crucial Game 2 against the Washington Capitals, all eyes are on head coach Martin St-Louis and his controversial lineup decisions. The buzz around the team has only intensified with the surprising demotion of young star Ivan Demidov to the fourth line, a move that has left fans and analysts alike questioning St-Louis’s strategy.

While the Canadiens continue their pursuit of playoff success, the handling of Demidov’s ice time has become a major talking point, fueling debates about player development and team priorities. With the pressure mounting and the spotlight shining brighter than ever, the choices made behind the bench could have significant implications—not just for tonight’s game, but for the future of the franchise.

Apr 14, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) tracks a play against the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St-Louis, is clearly making decisions to win right now. He’s choosing what he believes gives him the best chance to win, and he’s clearly not making the popular decisions.

We can think of how he’s handled the Arber Xhekaj situation.

But we can also think about how he’s managed young Ivan Demidov, whose ice time keeps shrinking with each game.

Ivan Demidov and his tiny ice time continues to spark discussion, and I’m really curious to see what happens tonight in Game 2.

Very Disappointing Usage of Ivan Demidov by Martin St-Louis

For a team that’s looking for offense, it’s frustrating to see Demidov being used so little.

In his first game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Demidov played around 17 minutes. In his second game against the Carolina Hurricanes, that dropped to around 11 minutes, and it fell even further during Game 1 on Monday in Washington.

We’ll be keeping an eye on that tonight, but I truly believe that better usage of Demidov could be a game-changer (in a good way) for Martin St-Louis and the Canadiens.

It’s a bold move by MSL not to use Demidov more, and it’s certainly not a decision that has unanimous support.. Let’s see if anything changes tonight for Game 2 against the Washington Capitals!

Last-Minute Update: Ivan Demidov has just been demoted to the fourth line minutes ahead of game 2

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