Montreal Canadiens to face Boston Bruins in pre-season game
Tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, two division rivals will square off in an epic battle that is sure to entertain the 21,273 fans who will pack the arena.
The Montreal Canadiens will take on their long-time rivals, the Boston Bruins tonight in a game that will feature some top rookie players from both teams. Tyler Seguin, the number two
overall pick in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, is a lock to play on the Bruins’ top line, substituting for an injured Marc Savard.
During an intra-squad game held on Monday, Seguin was placed on a line with 42-year-old veteran Mark Recchi, and star centre Patrice Bergeron. Head coach Claude Julien will most likely
leave that line intact for the game.
“Those two guys (Recchi and Bergeron) have a young guy who's got great speed, great hands, a quick release, and lots of skill,” Julien said of the line combination. "A good veteran will
take advantage of that, use that to get an edge on the other team's line, just by making sure they utilize that player properly. I think we've already started to see that.”
Julien also said that Recchi and Bergeron have a great deal of faith in Seguin’s abilities, and that he did not look out of place with them during the intra-squad games.
“They've got a lot of confidence in him and he doesn't seem to be intimidated with playing with those guys,” said Julien. “To me, I see those three guys being a real nice fit right now.”
Over on the Habs’ side, they too will be placing a rookie on their top line for tonight’s match up in the form of right-winger Aaron Palushaj, who was acquired last season from the St.
Louis Blues in exchange for fellow winger Matt D’Agostini. The line also features Tomas Plekanec at centre, and high-scoring sniper Mike Cammalleri on the left wing.
The 21-year-old Palushaj is looking forward to playing with Cammalleri and Plekanec, and is more than ready for what awaits him in the game.
“I'm excited for the game for sure,” Palushaj said. “To be honest, it makes it a lot easier (playing with) two unbelievable players.”
During the Habs’ training camp, Palushaj was frequently lighting the lamp. His ability to produce key goals at the right times led to his promotion to the first line. While he is thrilled
to have earned such a lofty honour early on, he knows that the secret to success is not to overcomplicate things.
“You just keep it simple and play hard,” the native of Northville, Michigan said.
Simplicity was a vital component of Palushaj’s play with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League last season. Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin noted that the player’s evaluation
from Hamilton was highly positive.
“When I got the evaluation from Hamilton last year, the coaches felt he was our best player in the play-offs,” Martin said. “This is a first opportunity for me to see him play.”
Martin added that the presence of a player like Palushaj “helps our depth. He has good speed and offensive skill and it will be good to see him in the next week or two.”
Also slated to be in the Habs line-up tonight are highly touted prospect Louis Leblanc, and Jarred Tinordi, the Canadiens’ first-round pick in the 2010 draft. Carey Price and Curtis Sanford
will split the time in the Habs’ net.
Players like P.K. Subban, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez will most likely suit up for the Habs’ next pre-season game on Friday against the Ottawa Senators.
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