The Canadian will have a lot to do if he wants to stop the Winnipeg Jets’ momentum. Central Division leader Rick Bowness’s squad arrive in Montreal at the heart of a three-win streak, winning eight of their last nine games.
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For this occasion, the Habs get reinforcements on the blue line. Mike Matheson, who has been on the touchline for 13 games, will return. It is hoped the Montreal defender can now avoid the infirmary that has visited him many times since the country began.
This return will allow the Montreal team to count on three experienced defenders for one of the few times this season. We can expect Samuel Montembeault, who will start for the fifth consecutive year, to see this return with a good eye, he who has multiplied the small miracles in the last three games.
“Sam plays well. He makes his place. We’ll see how he develops and what decisions we’ll make in the next few games,” said Martin St-Louis about the task that the Bécancour goalkeeper could face in the coming weeks.
to occupy chairs
In addition, the Canadian announced the emergency recalls of Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Rem Pitlick early in the morning.
The recalls came after the injuries sustained by Jake Evans, Juraj Slafkovsky and Joel Armia over the weekend. All three will be out indefinitely and will be subject to further evaluation in the coming days.
Evans suffered a possible left knee injury when Brock Nelson fell on him late in the first period on Saturday night in Long Island. Armia (injured in the ribs by Jacob Trouba) and Slafkovsky (lower body, he did not finish the game) were injured during the game against Rangers.
“We’re losing two boys [Evans et Armia] which play an important role in homicide penalties. It’s an opportunity to see if other players are capable of stepping into those chairs,” said the Canadian’s head coach.
Archive photo, Martin Chevalier
This is the first recall of the season for Harvey-Pinard, who played 14 games for the Canadiens last year and scored his first NHL goal.
“I was looking forward to my turn. Things are going well at Laval at the moment,” said Harvey-Pinard, whose tally is 25 points (15 goals, 10 assists) in 37 games with Rocket.
“When you come here, you have to have the mentality that you want to get a full-time job. Opportunities don’t exist in a career 40,” he continued.
Long term Monahan
Arvida’s pride showed that he will play well tonight. However, Martin St-Louis declined to comment on the official composition of his line-up and was still exploring the possibility of counting on 11 attackers and seven defenders.
The final decision could depend on Jonathan Drouin’s health. The Quebecer did not attend morning training to undergo treatment.
At the level of the medical report, the organization also announced that the name of Sean Monahan had been placed on the long-term injured list. A retrospective staff move as of December 6, potentially aimed at taking tens of thousands of dollars off the payroll.
Pitlick, who has shuttled between Montreal and Laval since the start of the season, has moved the ropes once in 14 games with the Canadiens this winter. With the Rocket, he has 22 points in 18 games, including five goals.