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This morning's skatearound revealed one line-up change for tonight -- Brayden McNabb is sliding in for Jon Merrill. Otherwise, Gerard Gallant isn't tinkering with a winning formula, so that means another start for Malcolm Subban. Oscar Dansk will back up.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Marchessault was wearing the same red no-contact jersey as yesterday, while Erik Haula was seen skating for the first time since his injury.

Erik Haula getting in some skating prior to Saturday’s VGK morning skate at City National Arena. pic.twitter.com/WtENl5vMEi

— Steve Carp (@stevecarprj) October 21, 2017

Gallant believes that Marchessault is closer than Haula, but also noted both will be playing "sooner than later."

Afterwards, I caught up with McNabb and asked about his brother Dean, who's backstopping the WHL's Victoria Royals, and the team scavenger hunt a couple days ago; Gallant talks about whether or not he considers the upcoming tilts against St. Louis and Chicago as litmus tests for his 5-1 squad; the head coach also remembers why he was nervous the first time that he played against his former team; and finally, I dug up tape of when Marchessault got hurt last week.

Brayden McNabb

HockeyBuzz: You're in tonight after a couple games off, what have the coaches been telling you to focus on in the interim?

Brayden McNabb: Just keep it simple. Play my game. We got a different situation here with nine defensemen. Some nights, you kind of expect [to sit].

HB: What did you happen to do on the off day a couple days ago?

BM: We had a little team event. It was fun. It was a scavenger hunt. A little team bonding.

HB: Scavenger hunt? Can you tell me more about that?

BM: Just around the city. It was cool.

HB: What were you guys looking for?

BM: Wouldn't say looking for stuff, more just visiting different areas in the city. Kind of getting used to it.

HB: Was there a winner?

BM: There was. I was not on the winning team.

HB: Who won?

BM: I think it was Engelland.

HB: Well, that's not fair. He knows the city like the back of his hand.

BM: Exactly.

HB: That's cheating!

BM: Yeah.

HB: Can you also tell me a bit about your brother? Dean is doing great in Victoria. [HockeyBuzz note: Dean McNabb is a rookie goaltender for the WHL's Victoria Royals.]

BM: He's doing well. He's enjoying it. I think he might get into a game soon. It's fun to watch. See him grow in his career.

HB: Do you know if he's a high draft prospect? His numbers look good. (HB note: Dean is 17 and has posted a .930 save % in six appearances.)

BM: Yeah, his numbers are good. We'll see how it plays out this year. Hockey's a crazy sport that way. A lot of things can happen.

HB: Well, you're known for a big slapshot from the blueline. Now in the summer, you don't have to hold back anymore when you play him.

BM: (laughs) Yeah, I can let 'em rip now.

HB: How old was he when you realized you could "let 'em rip" on him?

BM: Probably a couple years ago. We get pretty competitive in everything we do. He's at a good age where we can do everything together.

Gerard Gallant

HockeyBuzz: Do you consider the next couple games -- you're playing against perennial playoff teams in St. Louis and Chicago -- as sort of a litmus test for your team?

Gerard Gallant: No, I don't look at it like that.

Every game is a test for our team. It doesn't matter who we're playing. We're an expansion team.

We're going to work hard every game, compete hard every game. I want the same effort no matter who we're playing.

HB: Going back to the theme of facing your old team, going back to your playing days when you were with Tampa Bay and you faced Detroit for the first time, did you feel any extra juice, do you think you played better against the Red Wings?

GG: That's a long time ago. (laughs)

I don't remember a whole lot about it. But I was excited to get back and see old friends.

I was actually nervous about playing Detroit. Because I had a lot of still-good friends on that team. And I was a bit of a little dirty player at times. You don't want to do that to your friends.

(HB note: Gallant skated for nine seasons in Detroit before the Tampa Bay Lightning signed him as a free agent in July 1993. Interestingly, Gallant's first game against the Red Wings was at Detroit on January 12, 1994, and his next two appearances were also against the Red Wings. So Gallant played three straight games against his former team over a three-week regular season stretch.)

Jonathan Marchessault

Yesterday, Jonathan Marchessault revealed how he got injured against the Detroit Red Wings last week. The forward managed to finish the game, so it came as some surprise the next day when he was announced out with a lower body injury.

It was in the third period. I was on the power play. Awkward kind of hit. I kind of fell awkwardly. It was weird play. (HockeyBuzz)

Rewinding the tape, this must be where Marchessault got hurt, when he got tangled up with Nick Jensen in the corner:



Marchessault also noted yesterday that he didn't get the number of the guy who struck him. It will probably come as some satisfaction to the in-your-face forward that he gave Jensen a good shot right after this "weird play."

After skatearound, Marchessault was out on ice with three-year-old son James. Can't see it here, but back of James's jersey says "Daddy" pic.twitter.com/y6lhTbJEzR

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) October 21, 2017

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