The Montreal Canadiens got back to practice today as they prepare to face off against the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow night at the Bell Centre. The Avalanche cancelled their practice at the Bell Centre this morning and so we will only learn their lineup tomorrow. While the Avalanche have struggled to start the season and are last in the Central Division, they are 2-0 on their current road trip. The Canadiens are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and remain # 1 in the NHL and Atlantic Division. The New York Rangers and Dallas Stars are 2 points behind them in the overall standings and the Ottawa Senators trail the Canadiens by 9 points in the division. The Canadiens understand that teams will be gunning to prove themselves against them. There are no easy nights in the NHL.
"We know we have a target on our chest. Teams are going to be ready to play us." - @PetryJ #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gJL5Qr6U34
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 13, 2015Today, Alex Semin found himself back on the wing practising alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller this morning. Torrey Mitchell missed practice due to family reasons and is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night. If Semin finally dresses against the Avalanche, the question is who will sit in his place? I would have argued that it should be Brian Flynn’s turn to miss a game but he had one of his best games in a while against the Penguins. Devante Smith-Pelly brings extra physicality that neither Flynn or Paul Byron have. Byron has quieted down a little since his great first few games but Therrien loves him on the penalty kill and he has done a good job there. The lineup will only be announced tomorrow but it seems like Semin’s return will happen sooner rather than late. I just hope that when he does make it back, Therrien gives him a fair chance...
"We haven't made a final decision about our lineup for tomorrow night." - Michel Therrien on the subject of Alexander Semin #GoHabsGo
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 13, 2015#Therrien says Semin's pace in practice has been better over the last week.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) November 13, 2015Alexei Emelin also missed practice today and there is a chance that he might not be ready to play Saturday night.
#canadiens Alex Emelin could miss tomorrow's game. #tvasports
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) November 13, 2015If he does not play, does the door open for Greg Pateryn or Jarred Tinordi to see their first action of the season? Pateryn certainly has his coaches and management’s confidence, as evidenced by his 2 year extension signed this past Summer. There appears to be a strong sense of understanding on what his role with the Canadiens is, as evidenced by his willingness to go down to St. John’s on a conditioning assignment. Tinordi on the other hand is on the outside looking in. Darren Dreger of TSN has suggested that Montreal would accept a 2nd round pick in exchange for Tinordi. However, most teams are probably waiting to see Tinordi play before they pull the trigger so perhaps Tinordi gets into the lineup before Pateryn so that he can be showcased. One thing is for sure, the sooner Tinordi’s situation is resolved the better it will be for all parties involved…
On another note, If you’re not watching the weekly Montreal Gazette Hockey Inside Out Web Episodes, I highly suggest you do so. Unfortunately, there is no Anglo comparison to L’Antichambre on RDS. The population in Quebec doesn’t justify an equivalent show and because of that, we lose out on some potentially great debates and analysis, or even the opportunity to scoff at certain commentators ;-). TSN 690 Radio has their weekly Friday Scrum but sometimes it feels like there are too many cooks in the kitchen and not everyone gets heard. The best part of Hockey Inside Out’s show is that it has the freedom to bring in guests from various media outlets. While TSN 690 has an excellent roster of guest spots throughout the day, since they became part of the TSN/Bell Media family they lost some of the voices that many fans enjoyed hearing from such as Elliotte Friedman and Stephen Brunt.
Stu Cowan does a wonderful job as host, leading the conservation and making sure everyone has an opportunity to say their piece. The sports editor of The Montreal Gazette has been covering the Habs more often this season and his articles are a welcome edition. Personally, I prefer listening/watching Chris ‘Knuckles’ Nilan in shows such as this or when he guests on Melnick rather than him having the responsibility to carry his own show. Nilan brings extra insight from the perspective as a former player and coach. I for one am really happy that Andie Bennett has guested on the past couple of shows. Daybreak on CBC is on too early for me to catch her hits in the morning and I’m sure that I’m not the only hockey fan who misses hearing her perspectives on the radio in the afternoon.
One of our best Shows yet… https://t.co/F0RGZxgJAU
@KnucklesNilan30 @AndieCBC @jacktodd46 & @StuCowan1 #Habs #NHL pic.twitter.com/xT4axIMG3g
— Sterling (@SterlingAgres) November 12, 2015There are many great podcasts and shows talking about the Habs and I’ll try to give a shoutout to all of them in the next few weeks. If you have a favorite or suggestion for others, feel free to say so in the comments!
Cheers & Follow Along! Follow @Jenbcutler