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In Hainsight: Home Opener Awaits |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
between the visitors at the Bell Centre and the coveted two points. Nowadays though, Mister Saturday Night is living on the west coast as his body gave up on him before the end of his eight-year contract and the Canadiens are done hoping for superhuman performances in net. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks roll into town without the two players that defined the team and lead it to two Stanley Cup Championships over the course of the last 15 years. Chicago is no longer Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane’s team; the mantle has been passed on to boy wonder and generational talent Connor Bedard.
The first overall pick at the last draft attracts big crowds wherever he goes and tonight in Montreal will be no exception. It’s the first Saturday night of the season and the NHL decided to send its brand shiny new toy to Montreal on the Canadiens’ home opener. Given the fact that the Habs definitely how to put on a show when it comes to opening ceremonies and that Bedard has been very entertaining to watch, the 21 000 fans in attendance should be in for a heck of a night.
Martin St-Louis has already confirmed that Samuel Montembeault would be getting the start in net tonight after Jake Allen was rather inconsistent in the season opener in Toronto. Mounty will be hoping to pull out a statement game tonight and lay his claim to the role of number one goaltender. On top of Allen, Montembeault’s got to compete with Cayden Primeau who’s been kept on the roster since he has to clear waivers to be assigned to Laval. Apparently, a team came knocking during the offseason to enquire about his availability. The net battle will be something to keep an eye on as well because if Primeau isn’t used regularly, it will be detrimental to his already unusual development. At the same time, Montembeault is in the last year of his contract and will want to have a career year to earn a big extension or a great deal on the free agency market in July.
As for the rest of the line-up, St-Louis has decided to give another try to the lines and pairings he used last Wednesday in Toronto. Hopefully, Sean Monahan’s linemates have had time to catch their breath and can look better out there tonight. The 29-year-old center is the Canadiens’ player who’s had the most success against the Hawks during his career, in 24 games he racked up 22 points (13 goals, 9 assists).
The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM but fans are advised to get to their seats by 6:45 PM at the latest if they don’t want to miss any of the pregame ceremonies. Happy home opener day Habs fans! Enjoy the game and another Connor’s debut in Montreal. When Connor McDavid played his first game in Montreal on February 7, 2016, the Canadiens beat the Oilers 5-1 and McDavid was held off the scoresheet, but he was still spectacular to watch. Bring it on Bedard, Canadiens’ fans know how to appreciate hockey talent and they’ll no doubt be noisy tonight to welcome you to the true Hockey town.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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