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Pregame: Canadiens vs Devils |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Just like yesterday, both Joel Armia and Jonathan Drouin were absent from practice. Both players are currently dealing with upper body injuries and will not be available for the game tonight, making lineup decisions much easier for head coach Martin St-Louis. Juraj Slafkovsky will be back tonight, still on the 4th line alongside Jake Evans and Michael Pezzetta who also draws in thanks to the aforementioned injuries. As for the blue line, pairings remain unchanged, meaning that Wideman remains the odd man out and that Xhekaj keeps getting himself acquainted with playing on his off side.
If you are of those who’s patience is wearing thin with Evgeni Dadonov, you should know that Martin St-Louis really does believe that the effort is there, that he’s putting his best foot forward but that things are just getting in the way, be it sticks, the refs or anything else. For now, he’s leaving him alone and doesn’t keep telling him you’re playing well results will come, he strongly believes that sometimes, guys have got to be left alone.
As for Michael Pezzetta, the circumstances mean that he doesn’t get to play very often but the head coach describes him as a warrior who is always ready and gives his all when called upon. St-Louis adds that he’s a culture guy, a team guy and that while he may keep things more simple than more talented players, he must learn to read the game and recognizes opportunities when they present themselves to him on the ice. While he’s not playing a lot, the way the team practices and simulates real game conditions allow him to work on it even if he doesn’t draw into the line-up.
If you have some time today, you might want to give a listen to last night’s episode of the Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro who had Jeff Gorton as a guest. The VP of hockey operations didn’t make any big revelations, but it was an enjoyable interview and one that tells you that the Canadiens intend to stay the course. Of course, Marinaro enquired about Cole Caufield’s next contract and Gorton was very reassuring. In a nutshell, the Canadiens want him around for a long time, he wants to be around for a long time and Gorton simply said: “Don’t worry about it Cole’s going to be here”.
Given the overwhelming positivity that surrounds the team right now, Marinaro also asked him if it was possible, if things kept going well for the Habs, that they be buyers at the trade deadline, a question which Gorton nicely sidestepped. Of course, you cannot tell your players you have no intention of contending, but he did say that the focus is still very much on building a perennial contender, not a team that might just have a chance in the here and now.
For those who are looking at the deep draft class and thinking that the Canadiens are “too good for their own good”, the VP said that so many things have got to happen for a team to draft high, it’s not just about losing games. He understands the concerns of fans who’d like to see Montreal add a generational talent but adds that it’s not essential to building a contender, reminding everyone that a lot of the players that make up the Habs right now, should have been drafted higher such as Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle. Clearly, he also believes that when the time comes, it won’t be that hard to attract players to Montreal, not only because of the young players the team has, but also because of the coach and the culture they are building and finally because it’s Montreal, that’s where you go when you want to play hockey where it matters to the people.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM tonight and we’ll see if powder blue Habs can be the answer to red hot Devils…Hopefully, the Canadiens have a better record with these retro reverse jerseys than they did with the dark blue ones.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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