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This should be a very interesting game for Martin tactically.
Edmonton has been using their lines in a very interesting manner. The Smyth-Horcoff-Jones line gets a tonne of defensive zone faceoffs along with the Belanger line.
Meanwhile, the Kid line has been extremely sheltered, not being used at all in the defensive zone and mostly used for offensive zone faceoffs and on-the-fly line changes. Their extreme offensive usage (and success on the boxcar scoresheet) is being faciliated in large part by the Horcoff line moving the puck out of the defensive zone toward the offensive end.
If the Habs can have the upper-hand territoriality and push the puck towards the Edmonton goal that will really hamper the kid line's effectiveness. It's a shame Gomez isn't back, carrying the puck out of the defensive zone and into the offensive end is his best skill.
Unless the Habs are down a goal,I expect we'll see the Plekanec line with Gorges and Subban matched up against the Horcoff line. If the Habs can pin that line in the zone Oilers' zone the other matchups are pretty favorable. If Kostitsyn is playing the Eller line should be able to play the Belanger line.
I'm pretty confident that Cammalleri-Desharnais-Cole can out-play the kid line if the Desharnais trio doesn't have to start in the defensive zone too often. Cammalleri and Cole are bona-fide 1st-line forwards and with RNH only 18 Desharnais should have an easier time handling him than he has had against veteran top-6 NHL centres.
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