(Tampa) There is never a flat day in the daily life of the Montreal Canadiens.
Thus, among the wonders that we saw in the training of the club, Tuesday morning at the Amalie Arena in Tampa: a Quebec goalkeeper who will play his first game in a month, two players who will play their first game in life in the NHL, and a proud veteran who is approaching a return to the game.
So let’s try to sort all of that out.
So yes, two players, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Corey Schueneman, will play a first game for life in the big leagues. The defender spoke of an occasion that everyone dreams of, “COVID-19 or not COVID-19”, and the Quebec striker also spoke of a dream.
In the case of Harvey-Pinard, whose joie de vivre burst through the Zoom screen on this superb Tuesday morning in Tampa, it was only a matter of time, he who had been recalled by the Canadian for the New York trip that had to be postponed before Christmas.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he said at first. Of course, these are special circumstances; you can’t think it’s going to be this way (in times of COVID-19), but whatever. Tonight is a dream. ”
If nothing changes between now and Tuesday night, Harvey-Pinard will skate in a trio that will be completed by Ryan Poehling and Cole Caufield. “I’m confident I can’t wait to take my game to the next level,” he added. Already just taking the plane with the team, I managed to take one step closer to my goal! ”
In front of the net, Samuel Montembeault will be in charge of repelling the Lightning’s shots. The Quebec goalkeeper will be making his first start since November 26. Coach Dominique Ducharme has already confirmed that Cayden Primeau will get the next start, that of December 30 in Carolina against the Hurricanes. It remains to be seen what all this will give to Tampa tonight.
On the Lightning side, things are not rosier in the absence file. The two goalies are missing, which means that Quebecer Maxime Lagacé will get his first start in goal of the NHL since May 8, when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Defenseman Sean Day will play his first NHL game. The Lightning can count on the return of striker Brayden Point, however.
And since we need good news from time to time at the Canadian, note that Paul Byron has resumed training with his teammates, and would be only a few days before a return to the game. a matter of time, ”explained Dominique Ducharme.
Finally, in the radius of things that we did not think we had to write in 2021 but here we are anyway: the striker Devante Smith-Pelly is back in the organization of the Canadiens. Whoever wore the club jersey in 2014-15 and 2015-16 said yes to a trial contract with the Rocket, in the American League.
As things are going, we may see him again at the Bell Center in 2022.