MONT-TREMBLANT | For the last preparatory match, the custom is usually for teams to present a formation that is one or two players closer to the one that will begin the season. Normal, this is the last big rehearsal before the official curtain rises.
Except that on Saturday evening, in Ottawa, that may not be the case. Due to the numerous cases of injuries to key players across the NHL and following the tumultuous visit of the Senators on Tuesday, Martin St-Louis is hesitant to send his big guns into the fray.
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“My priority is to start the season healthy. It was a very emotional camp, and not fair for us, indicated the Canadian head coach. I would like to know what Ottawa plans to do.”
On this subject, colleague Bruce Garrioch, assigned to cover the Senators on behalf of the Ottawa Citizenindicated that the Sens had recalled a group of players who had been transferred to the American Hockey League earlier this week.
Of the group, Tyler Boucher, Angus Crookshank and Donovan Sebrango are more the type to like mayhem. That’s without taking into account the possible presence of the robust Zack MacEwen or even Nick Cousins, described by many as the most hated player in the National Hockey League.
That said, the Senators also have a game scheduled in Detroit on Friday night, hence this possible massive wave of recalls.
Precautions
However, St-Louis would like to have no surprises.
“I asked Kent [Hughes] to try to talk to [Steve] Staios [le directeur général des Sénateurs]he confided (see his press briefing in the video above). This is somewhat in line with what we saw across the league in the preparatory calendar [les blessures]. You don’t want to lose guys.”
With Patrik Laine already on the sidelines, it would indeed be a shame to lose another top forward or a big name on the blue line.
In short, it is not certain that we will see the Habs’ first trio on the ice at the Canadian Tire Center. We may also not be able to know the identity of the player who will replace Laine on the second line.
And if St. Louis doesn’t want the fire to catch, it might as well not dress Arber Xhekaj, expelled in each of his last two games.
He still tried to decapitate Tim Stützle.
Xhekaj sent off after a vicious hit on Stützle –
Dach takes the law into his own hands against Greig –
