Michel Therrien’s lineup changes lead to Canadiens’ 4-1 win over Kings
MONTREAL — Canadiens coach Michel Therrien made a minor tweak to his lineup and it worked like a charm.
The Habs bench boss shuffled his third line against the Kings on Thursday and the move paid instant dividends as Montreal beat Los Angeles 4-1 at the Bell Centre.
Therrien benched forward David Desharnais, who was without a point in his last nine games. Usually on the wing, Phillip Danault took Desharnais’ spot at centre on the third line. Danault, centring Max Pacioretty and Andrew Shaw, scored Montreal’s third goal of the night.
“I loved Danault’s game,” said Therrien. “For his first game at centre, he wasn’t lost, he looked natural. Sometimes a player loses himself when he changes position. He was very comfortable out there.”