HE’S BACK AGAIN: coach Martin St. Louis’s contract with montreal canadiens is terminated due to

BROSSARD, Quebec — The Montreal Canadiens have opted to extend coach Martin St. Louis’s contract for an additional two years, securing his position with the team for the next three seasons.

St. Louis was initially brought on as an interim coach following Dominique Ducharme’s departure in February 2022. The 48-year-old Canadian took over as head coach at the end of that season, marking his debut as an NHL bench boss. During his tenure, he has accumulated a record of 75 wins, 100 losses, and 26 ties as the Canadiens undergo a rebuilding phase.

The Canadiens have failed to make the playoffs for the past three seasons, culminating in a last-place finish in the Atlantic Division this season with a record of 30 wins, 36 losses, and 16 ties.

Having been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018, St. Louis boasts an impressive resume, including a Stanley Cup victory with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, as well as receiving the Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP in the same year. He concluded his playing career in 2015 with a total of 1,033 points.

Meanwhile, in the Bruins camp, despite Jeremy Swayman’s strong performance in a 5-1 victory in Game 1 on Saturday, Linus Ullmark will take the helm for Monday night’s Game 2 at TD Garden.

Ullmark was the one leading the Bruins onto the ice for pre-game warmups, signaling his role as the starting goaltender.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery remained tight-lipped about his starting goalie during Monday’s morning skate, a similar stance to his approach before the series opener.

Although Montgomery acknowledged Swayman’s impressive display after Saturday’s win, the decision to switch to Ullmark shouldn’t come as a major surprise. The Bruins have favored alternating starting netminders since Swayman’s consecutive starts on Feb. 19 and Feb. 21. This strategy, uncommon in the playoffs, has nonetheless proven effective for the Bruins over the past couple of regular seasons.

Ullmark’s performance down the stretch has been noteworthy, ranking second among all qualifying goalies in save percentage (.935) and goals against average (GAA) of 1.90 after the March 8 trade deadline.

Game 2 will mark Ullmark’s ninth career postseason start for the Bruins, with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, and a .888 save percentage along with a 3.54 GAA in his previous eight playoff appearances.