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Preparatory calendar: Habs veterans talk to Jeff Gorton

 David Miller
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Preparatory calendar: Habs veterans talk to Jeff Gorton
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

For the past few days, the preparatory schedule has been the hot topic in Montreal. Injuries and games that look like they’re straight out of Slap Shot mean that, for many, it’s high time to call it a day.

In fact, maybe only Connor McDavid thinks the NHL preseason isn’t too long. If anything, Matvei Michkov might feel the same way.

But in Montreal, it’s really time to call it a day. The boys will enjoy a few days at Tremblant before a final preparatory match on Saturday, and then the real stuff will begin.

That said, the club’s veterans also seem to be looking for a little change in connection with the preparatory games. As reported by Pierre LeBrun on the Radar podcast(BPM Sports), the Habs veterans chatted with Jeff Gorton about the preseason.

The topic of discussion: whether they’d be better off playing on the road rather than at the Bell Centre.

Basically, what LeBrun is explaining is that teams usually play their regular players at home, while the other players are mostly in action on the road. Take the games against Toronto last week, for example: the Habs had an AHL-worthy club in Toronto, but they had their entire top-6 at the Bell Centre.

And as is generally the case across the league, this meant that the veterans of one team often played against the rookies of another. A guy like Patrik Laine, for example, finds himself playing against a guy like, say, Cédric Paré.

That’s not necessarily a guarantee, though. Last night, for example, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle were in action at the Bell Centre, while the Habs’ top line was off duty. Was it because the guys were chatting to Gorton about all this? Possibly.

Such a change would help prevent Habs regulars from finding themselves playing against guys trying to make a name for themselves on the other side, who would face better competition. That said, one has to wonder if Geoff Molson, who wants to sell tickets at the Bell Centre, is keen on the idea of not playing the players who fill the stands during home preparatory games.

I can’t wait to see if this is something that will change… but let’s hope that sooner or later, the preparatory schedule will be shortened. I think that would be good for everyone.


Overtime

– Special units are a problem in Montreal.

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