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Habs vs. Bruins game preview and five questions |
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If you missed my interview with former Hab Mike Weaver, check it out here: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jennifer-B-Cutler/In-coversation-with-former-Hab-Mike-Weaver/220/80485
The Montreal Canadiens will try to take the positives and build from their 5-4 victory Saturday night against the Philadelphia Flyers as they take on the Boston Bruins Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. Despite not having played their best hockey in recent games, the Canadiens still lead the National Hockey League with a 10-1-1 record and 21 points. The bruins sit fourth in the Atlantic division with 14 points but are coming off of 4-0 win last night against the Buffalo Sabres. The Canadiens won the first matchup between the two clubs 4-2 in Boston.
Forward Arturri Lehkonen has been placed on the injured reserve and is expected to miss at least a week with an upper body injury. Daniel Carr will dress for just his third game of the season and rejoins the third line playing alongside David Desharnais and Andrew Shaw. Paul Byron will get the first opportunity to play alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov on the first line in Lehkonen’s place although one wonders how long that will last for. That is not to disrespect Byron, one of the fastest forwards in the NHL and a big part of the Canadiens penalty kill unit. However, perhaps it could have been an opportunity to try captain Max Pacioretty on the top line and get him going again. The rest of the Canadiens lines tonight will look like:
The powerplay will look a little different this evening as well as they attempt to get back on track. It appears as though Andrew Shaw will center Galchenyuk and Radulov with the man advantage this evening. No that is not a typo. Perhaps it is just so that Shaw can take faceoffs. This is a golden opportunity for Shaw though to play with the Canadiens most talented forwards. He needs to be digging for loose pucks and screening the goaltender. Shaw has been averaging 2:19 minutes of powerplay time this year but does not have a single point with the man advantage. If he is unable to contribute tonight on the power play then perhaps it is time to rethink special teams ice time distribution...
Since the Bruins played last night, any lineup news will only be announced later today.
5 questions for tonight’s game:
1)Will Byron finish the game still playing on the top line? If not who will replace him? Pacioretty, Carr or Shaw?
2) Andrei Markov and Shea Weber are reunited on the Canadiens top powerplay unit. Will they have an immediate positive effect with the man advantage?
3) Can the Canadiens limit the Bruins to less than 30 shots?
4) The Canadiens penalty kill units have also struggled as of late. Will they be able to hold the Bruins powerplay off of the scoreboard?
5) Which team will win tonight and what will be the final score?
Puck drops at 7:30pm.
Cheers & follow along!
">http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jennifer-B-Cutler/In-coversation-with-former-Hab-Mike-Weaver/220/80485
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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