Former Canadiens fan-favorite sends a blunt message to Martin St-Louis

The former Montreal Canadiens enforcer posted "Free Brendan Gallagher" on his story hours before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Montreal trails 3-1 and faces elimination tonight in Raleigh.

Plenty of former players have weighed in on whether Martin St-Louis should insert Gallagher into the lineup. Prust is not just another voice in this conversation.

When the Canadiens signed Prust to a four-year deal in 2012, one of his primary roles was protecting a rookie named Brendan Gallagher.

He was placed on a line with Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk specifically so nobody would take liberties against the young forwards.

That mentorship shaped who Gallagher became. The fearless net-front presence and the refusal to back down from anyone regardless of size were qualities Prust modeled first.

Gallagher has been scratched repeatedly throughout these Stanley Cup Playoffs. St-Louis sat him for the first four games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round.

When he returned for Game 5, Gallagher scored within three minutes and helped Montreal win 3-2. That result sparked a series victory the Canadiens carried all the way to this conference final.

The evidence says Gallagher in small doses is a different player than Gallagher worn down over a full season. St-Louis has seen this work before.

Prust did not say play Gallagher. He said free him.

That word choice frames the situation as something being done to Gallagher rather than something he failed to earn.

It carries weight because the man saying it once had the specific job of making sure Gallagher could play his game without fear.

With Montreal facing elimination and Gallagher's future with the organization uncertain, tonight could be the last chance to deploy him.

If Prust's voice does not move the needle, nothing from outside that locker room will.