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The Canadiens announced this morning that Josh Anderson was day-to-day with a lower body injury and as a result, they’ve recalled winger Joshua Roy from Laval. After Emil Heineman failed to impress and was sent back to Laval this week, it made sense for the Canadiens to opt for Joshua Roy. The Habs’ fifth round pick at the 2021 draft will therefore be making his NHL debut at the Bell Centre on a Saturday night, that’s the stuff dreams are made of for French Canadian boys. Speaking to the media, he mentioned that his parents would be in attendance and other friends and family, he expects roughly 30 people to be there to witness his debut. In his pregame presser coach Martin St-Louis was asked to put Saturday night at the Bell Centre in perspective and he said: “If It was my last day on Earth, and you asked me where I’d want to be, I’d want to be in this building on a Saturday night”.
For his debut, Roy will be skating alongside Sean Monahan and Joel Armia. The top line remains unchanged while Harvey-Pinard, Evans and Gallagher will be playing together and the fourth line will be formed by Pezzetta, Stephens and Ylonen. The newcomer will be wearing number 89, a number only used twice in Canadiens’ history by Ryan Johnston (2016-2017) and Nikita Nesterov. On the back end, Justin Barron will be a healthy scratch while Jonathan Kovacevic will be back in the line-up. In net, Samuel Montembeault will be back.
The Oilers come to town having won nine games in a row and will be quite a test for Martin St-Louis’ men. Edmonton struggled out of the game this season, but since they’ve changed their head coach hiring Kris Knoblauch, they’ve looked like a time with a new lease of life. The Habs would do well to be ready from the get-go as the Oilers’ most productive period this season has been the first one. They’ve score 51 of their 134 goals in the first frame. Tonight, will be the first game between the two sides, the second being scheduled for March 19 in Edmonton.
This afternoon, at 15:30, the PWHL Montreal’s team will be playing in its home opener against PWHL Boston. General manager Daniele Sauvageau has confirmed that the venue is sold out, meaning that roughly 4,000 fans will be in attendance to witness history being made. While waiting this long for the Montreal season opener was somewhat annoying, it’s great the ice breaking game will take place against Boston. Not only because there’s quite a rivalry between the two towns in the NHL, but also because it will feature two real-life hockey monuments of the women’s game American born Hilary Knight and Canadian hero Marie-Philip Poulin.
Knight is no stranger to Montreal as she played alongside Poulin with Les Canadiennes in 2018-2019 prior to the CWHL folding. Since then, just like Poulin, she’s skated in the PWHPA, refusing to join the PHF and working to get a real professional women’s league in place. Now, the dream has been realized and Knight would no doubt love to spoil Montreal’s party. Boston has only played one game so far, a 3-2 defeat against PWHL Minnesota. They would have played another game had it not been postponed because of a snowstorm. PWHL Montreal is currently second in the standings with five points, behind unbeaten PWHL Minnesota who have nine points.
After Elaine Chuli played the last game for Montreal, a 5-2 win over New York, you can expect Team Canada's and Montreal's number one goaltender, Ann-Renée Desbiens, to be back in the net. Looking at yesterday's practice, it looked like both Laura Stacey and Ann-Sophie Bettez would be back in the line-up. As for Kristin O'Neil, she left yesterday's practice and all signs seem to point to an absence. Catherine Dubois, a reserve player on a ten-day contract should therefore still be in the line-up, after providing a great performance in her debut.
Fans who haven’t got a ticket to the game can still watch it as it will be broadcasted on CBC and ICI RC, marking the return of professional hockey on the French broadcaster, 20 years after La soirée du hockey was cancelled after the rights were bought by RDS. If you fancy a brilliant hockey day, watch this match-up before the Canadiens’ game, you won’t regret it.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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