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Senators recall physical players just before facing the Habs

 Michael Johnson
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Senators recall physical players just before facing the Habs
Credit: Getty Images

The Canadiens’ preparatory schedule is… intense. To say the least.

The Habs’ games against their Ontario rivals haven’t exactly been quiet. The rivalry between the teams in Eastern Canada is more intense than it used to be.

And with the Habs facing the Senators tomorrow (warm-up game), the Maple Leafs on Wednesday and the Sens next Saturday, it’s clear that there’s going to be some electricity in the air.

I can’t wait to see the Habs line-up tomorrow night. I don’t think it’s going to be a full lineup, since Martin St-Louis spoke earlier this week of a guy who didn’t want to have a full lineup on Saturday.

Will Kirby Dach, who got his chance in the last game, have the day off tomorrow? Possibly.

And given that the game is likely to be a big one, protecting Dach, who is coming back from a knee injury, may not be the worst idea in the world. Why do I say this?

Because Bruce Garrioch reports that the Sens have recently recalled several players who play a physical game.

Because the Sens play in Detroit tonight, we can’t be sure that it’s really to face the Habs that the Tyler Boucher, Angus Crookshank, Stephen Halliday, Hayden Hodgson, Cole Reinhardt, Filip Roos and Donovan Sebrango of this world have been recalled.

And even if all these nice gentlemen aren’t necessarily expected to play on Saturday, you don ‘t have to look far to see what’s going on: it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Will Martin St-Louis have a line-up to match? Will Lucas Condotta and Luke Tuch, who returned to Laval after being recalled for Tuesday’s game, be back? Who knows?

Still, I expect to see several regulars on the ice. Nick Suzuki’s line, which didn’t play on Tuesday, should logically get some practice time in tomorrow night’s game.

I can’t wait to see whether Arber Xhekaj, who has been ejected from his team’s last two games, will be in uniform tomorrow. I’m especially anxious to see if he’ll be in uniform next Wednesday, but hey.

Tomorrow night’s game will be one to watch.


In Overtime

– Joel Armia on the top-6? Could be.

– Big hire. Former Expos man comes out of retirement.

– The Robin Lehner case brings Carey Price’s contract back to the forefront.

– Gabriel Bourque to retire. We touched on the subject recently. [Ciel103]

– The regular season starts today. The NHL didn’t send its two “sexiest” teams to please the Europeans, but hey.

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