MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine is out for Game 3 of their first-round series Friday against the Washington Capitals with an upper-body injury.
Laine was the only player to miss the team's morning skate. The Canadiens said he will be evaluated on a daily basis.
The absence comes after head coach Martin St. Louis benched Laine for the entire third period of Wednesday鈥檚 3-1 loss in Game 2 following a difficult first 40 minutes for the Finnish forward.
Kasperi Kapanen replaced Laine, while bruising defenceman Arber Xhekaj entered the lineup for Jayden Struble.
Montreal trails the Washington Capitals 2-0 in the best-of-seven matchup after two losses on the road.
The 27-year-old Laine is Montreal鈥檚 highest-paid player with a US$8.7-million salary through next season. Known for his dangerous shot, the power-play specialist hasn鈥檛 scored in his last seven games.
A 44-goal scorer in 2017-18, Laine hasn鈥檛 scored 30 times in a season since 2018-19 due to a mix of injuries and inconsistent play.
The Canadiens acquired Laine and a second-round draft pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for defenceman Jordan Harris.
Laine had 20 goals 鈥 including 15 on the power play 鈥 and 13 assists in 52 games this season after missing the first two months with a knee injury.
鈥淲e have some guys battling things, so we鈥檒l see what we start with tonight,鈥 St. Louis said earlier Friday. 鈥淥bviously in a series, during games, you make adjustments. That鈥檚 part of a best-of-seven.鈥
Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas, meanwhile, did not return to the lineup after head coach Spencer Carbery said he was a possibility.
The six-foot-six, 247-pound Protas also missed Games 1 and 2 with a skate cut to his left foot. He broke out with 30 goals and 36 assists in 76 games this season, finishing third in scoring on the Capitals.
Montreal hosted its first playoff game before 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.
"We're excited as a group," forward Brendan Gallagher said. "The fans are excited. I'm sure that they're anticipating a hard start from us as well, it鈥檚 about maintaining that. Still can't waste energy and go out of your way, but use the crowd for sure, get them involved, make it as tough as possible
鈥淚t's a tough place come into and win. This crowd is something special.鈥
This report by 好色tvwas first published April 25, 2025.
