The Montreal Canadiens will look to add to their hot streak of five consecutive wins by potentially adding a sixth tonight as they pay a visit to the Vancouver Canucks (10:00pm ET). With 82 points to their name and without ever relinquishing their first place in the Atlantic Division so far this season, the Habs continue to nevertheless be closely chased by the Ottawa Senators, who have two games in hand and four points less. Unfortunately for the Canucks, who are sixth in the Pacific Division and six points away from the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, facing a red-hot Habs team might not necessarily help their cause. Despite a convincing victory against the New York Rangers last Saturday, head coach Claude Julien will continue to make tweaks to his lineup in order to ensure that the Canadiens can start their West Coast road trip on the right foot.
For starters (and after much clamoring from fans and members of the press), it appears that defenseman Alexei Emelin will sit tonight’s matchup out as his spot will be occupied by Brandon Davidson, who was acquired in the trade that sent David Desharnais to the Edmonton Oilers last week. At 6’ 2” and 210-lb, Davidson’s size and steadiness will help strike a perfect balance with his potential defensive partner Jeff Petry who is not known for his “rock ‘em-sock ‘em” style.
“A physical D-man,” is how Davidson described himself to Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. “I basically try to move pucks out of the D zone. Not too offensive or any flashiness. But definitely a reliable guy back there. Someone who can move pucks up to the forwards.”
Despite being all-but-officially included on tonight’s roster, do not expect Davidson to necessarily have a standout, blemish-free game. His 2015-2016 season was cut short with a knee injury and this season’s training camp ended prematurely due to a concussion, which might have affected the 25-year-old’s confidence:
“I really hope that I’m able to get in there. It’s been a little while now. I sat a couple of games before the trade deadline trying not to get hurt. So I’m ready, I’m excited. I can’t wait to go,” he told the Montreal Gazette.
But changes to the defensive corps are not the only ones coming. Alexander Radulov, who continues to be listed as “day-to-day” with a lower-body injury that general manager Marc Bergevin confirmed was nothing serious, could miss a second game in a row. Moreover, Tomas Plekanec took a therapy day yesterday instead of practicing with his teammates, and it remains unclear whether he will take part in tonight’s contest. As the Habs hit the ice for practice in a little over an hour, we should know more details regarding the latter’s status.
Either way, it appears that Plekanec will not be a part of the team’s power play should he play tonight, as Julien opted to go with the following units during yesterday’s practice:
It looks like the coach is giving Phillip Danault a chance to find his groove once again, as he has managed only a single assist in his last ten games. Staying true to his nature, Julien continues to try to boost his players’ confidence by adding the rejuvenated Brendan Gallagher to the top unit. After scoring on a wicked one-timer in a tight angle last game (his first goal in over 18 games), Artturi Lehkonen will benefit from Alex Galchenyuk’s playmaking abilities and Andrew Shaw’s nose for the net on the second unit. With only three goals with the man advantage in their last 5 games, the Habs will need to find combinations that work and quickly. They have 16 games left in the regular season and will need to develop a lasting chemistry heading into the playoffs, where referees are more lenient and thus capitalizing on rare opportunities with the man advantage will be essential for success.
Check back soon for more updates.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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