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In Hainsight: No Getting Away |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis was thrilled to see his team’s exhibition game schedule this year. While fans were annoyed at the six-day break between the Habs’ fifth and sixth preseason games, the bench boss saw it as an opportunity for team building. After Wednesday’s practice in Brossard, the players boarded a bus with both their hockey and golf gear and headed to Mont-Tremblant for a team retreat.
Although retreat might not quite be the appropriate word since the team was followed by the usual media circus and they traded the Brossard crowd for Tremblant’s Gilles Cadieux Arena crowd. The small venue was packed yesterday as the team held a high energy practice, fueled by the public’s cheers. Radio-Canada’s Marc-Antoine Godin even reported that a local teacher had decided to reward her students for their hard work with a field trip to the Habs’ practice.
Speaking to the media post practice, Cole Caufield said the players were eager to give the many kids in attendance what they craved to see. As a result, there were plenty of celebrations from the Habs’ sniper when he found the back of the net even if those goals were meaningless for him, because as he said, they might have been part of a memorable day for the kids in attendance.
As for Samuel Montembeault, he was dared to fall face first on the ice as he came out of the locker room and he obliged, much to the crowd’s delight who had a good laugh. As for the current goalie situation, the likely number one has no issue with it, he’s fine with the training rotation that’s been put into place and he has no recrimination.
As well as practicing, the team shared some meals, played some golf and spent some time altogether, something that doesn’t really happen that much during the season as each player has got his own family and the obligations that come with it.
As always, the pack of journalists in attendance bounced on Martin St-Louis and tried to talk about the likely lines on opening night and who had the inside lane in the crease battle, but the coach was having none of it. He said he didn’t know who would play with who and which of the three goaltenders left at camp would be wearing the Sainte-Flanelle come Wednesday.
The Habs will hit the ice at the Gilles Cadieux Arena one last time this morning at 11:00 and make their way back in Montreal later today before heading to the nation’s capital tomorrow afternoon in readiness of their last preseason game against the Senators. Then, on Sunday the players will enjoy a day off before getting back to work and (finally) starting their season in Toronto on Wednesday night.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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