The miserable season of the Montreal Canadiens will end Friday at the Bell Center with the visit of the Florida Panthers, a team at odds with that of the Habs.
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Indeed, the 82and duel of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge campaign, guaranteed to conclude in the cellar of the general classification, will oppose it to the new recipients of the Presidents’ trophy. Winner of the Ottawa Senators 4-0 the day before, the Panthers have 122 points on the clock, against only 53 for the troop of head coach Martin St-Louis.
The latter will rely on goaltender Carey Price, who showed up on the ice for morning practice in Brossard. St-Louis confirmed number 31’s attendance at the evening’s date, but did not divulge any information relating to Price’s medical consultation in New York. The Canadiens halted a nine-game losing streak on Wednesday by winning 4-3 against the Rangers.
“I think it’s important for everyone to play a good game: for the organization and for the fans, to win a game. It would be so nice to end on a positive note. We are three periods away from turning the page and having a little end to the story on a [mauvaise] season”, underlined the pilot.
Mathieu Perreault’s farewell?
Eligible for full autonomy this summer, Mathieu Perreault could well bid farewell to the supporters of the Canadian, he who will replace Laurent Dauphin in training. Used sporadically during the season and operated on the eye, the Quebecer found himself at the heart of transaction rumors as the trade deadline approached. The future therefore appears nebulous, but as for the present, he intends to savor every moment that will be offered to him on the ice.
“I will try to make the most of it. You don’t know when you’ll get another opportunity. It’s good that it’s in Montreal, too. The family will be there and we will try to have fun”, he wished in a pre-match press briefing.
“It may be the last, but personally you still believe you can still play well and I keep that mentality,” he added. I see it as an opportunity to do well. We’ll see what happens next. At 34, I have hockey in me and this is not my last game.
– Among the defenders, William Lagesson will give way to Chris Wideman. In the opposing camp, Jonathan Huberdeau missed the meeting in Ottawa and could play one last game before the start of the playoffs next week.