STU COWAN
MONTREAL GAZETTE
Alexander Semin will be a healthy scratch for the Canadiens when they face the Arizona Coyotes Thursday night at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., CITYM, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
Semin was benched for much of Monday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks, logging only 6:48 of ice time. It was the second straight game Semin was dressed for after being a healthy scratch for seven straight games, but in 22:18 of ice time during those two games he failed to register a point or a shot, landing back in coach Michel Therrien’s doghouse.
But captain Max Pacioretty said after practice Wednesday that he was there to support Semin if needed.
“I talk to Semin here and there,” Pacioretty said. “Obviously, the situation right now just presented itself. He’s had a lot of success in this league. If the opportunity comes where I feel like he needs to talk or he says he needs to talk then, obviously, I’m there for him and we’re all here for him. He’s not a guy that pouts or does the wrong things.
“I’ve said it before — he’s a professional for sure,” the captain added about Semin. “I genuinely believe he’s a big part of this group and the guys feel confident that hopefully he can be here for a long time and work out of this and be a big part of this team, because he’s got the skill to do it. And if we can get his confidence going, we feel that he can be a big part of this group.”
Pacioretty’s wife, Katia, is Russian and is the sister of former NHL player Maxim Afinogenov. As a result, Pacioretty has learned a few standard words of Russian that he likes to try on Semin.
“He always throws a word at me that I don’t understand and I have to ask him what that means,” Pacioretty said. “We’ve got a great Russian community here on the team now (along with Andrei Markov, Alexei Emelin and Alex Galchenyuk). My wife is close with all the Russian families and I know she talks to his wife often. We live in the same community. I feel a little bit of an extra bond with the Russian guys.”
(Photo by John Mahoney/Montreal Gazette)
• Game Day, canadiens.com
• Rookie Max Domi is alpha dog for Coyotes, by Pat Hickey
• Coyotes looking for first win of road trip, nhl.com
• Better starts needed for Coyotes, coyotes.nhl.com
• Montreal is special for Coyotes Ekman-Larsson, coyotes.nhl.com
• Desharnais blossoms in new role, by Stu Cowan
• Weise a rock star at blood-donor clinic, by Dave Stubbs
• Bert Olmstead was a hardrock original, by Dave Stubbs
Optional morning skate
As is the case on most game days, the Canadiens held an optional morning skate Thursday in Brossard. The only players who didn’t take part were Torrey Mitchell, P.K. Subban and Pacioretty.
Thursday is going to be a long day for the Canadiens. They will fly to New York immediately after the game against the Coyotes, slated to arrive in the Big Apple at 1 a.m., and play the Islanders Friday night (7:30 p.m., SNE, RDS, TSN Radio 690). The Habs will fly out of New York immediately after Friday’s game, slated to arrive back in Montreal at 1 a.m. Saturday.
“Thank God we don’t play Saturday,” one Canadiens PR person said.
The Canadiens will have a rare Saturday night off before playing the Islanders again Sunday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
Carey Price took part in the full morning skate Thursday and looked good. But there’s still no word on when he will return to the lineup after missing more than two weeks with a lower-body injury. Mike Condon will start against the Coyotes.
Defenceman Alexei Emelin remains sidelined with a lower-body injury and will miss the next three games at least.
Habs are more than just Price
If there is a bright spot to Price’s injury it’s that the Canadiens have proven to themselves — and the NHL — that they can win without the league’s best player in the lineup.
The Canadiens are 5-1-2 during Price’s absence thanks in large part to the play of Condon, the 25-year-old rookie who has a 7-1-2 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and .918 save percentage.
“We showed so far that we’re much more than a one-person team,” Pacioretty said.
“We have a long ways to go,” the captain added. “We haven’t put together 60 minutes as of late, but we’re confident. I think it’s given us confidence in this room mostly that we’re able to outchance, outshoot and outplay opponents. That’s a good feeling moving forward in the season.
“As the season rolls on you trust the system, and I think it gives us all confidence in our game in all areas.”
Said Price about Condon: “He really allowed me to take my time and get well. He played very valiantly over the last couple of weeks, the team played very well. That was a very good sign. I’ve been saying it all along this team isn’t just about me.”
Byron another French voice for media
David Desharnais is the only French Quebecer on the Canadiens this season, but the French media has a couple of other players they can interview in their own language.
Torrey Mitchell grew up in Montreal and has been shaking the rust off his high-school French since being acquired by the Canadiens last season from the Buffalo Sabres. And Paul Byron, acquired on waivers from the Calgary Flames before the start of this season, was very comfortable being interviewed in French after Thursday’s morning skate in Brossard.
“I took French immersion growing up (in Ottawa) and my wife’s French,” Byron explained.
With Semin back in the press box, Byron will return to the lineup Thursday night against the Coyotes, skating on the fourth line with Brian Flynn and Devante Smith-Pelly.
When asked how disappointed he was to be a healthy scratch the last two games, Byron said: “That’s just kind of the way the game works. There’s a lot of healthy bodies right now and someone has to sit. Alex (Semin) is an extremely skilled guy and I think him and Alex (Galchenyuk) had some great chemistry together so they wanted to put them back together.
“For me, I just have to keep working hard and don’t let that stuff disappoint me.”
Mitchell promoted to second line
Mitchell has been promoted to take Semin’s spot at right wing on the second line with Galchenyuk and Lars Eller.
When asked Wednesday about making the adjustment from centre to right wing, Mitchell said: “There’s not too much of an adjustment, to be honest with you. I’m sure I’m still going to be taking some faceoffs and I’ll end up the low guy in the D zone sometimes as well.
“A lot of times wingers and centres are sort of interchangeable on the ice and I think that’s one of the good things that we’re going to be able to do based on positioning.”
When it was mentioned to him that he’d probably end up with more ice time now, Mitchell said: “I hadn’t thought about it. But if I’m going to get more, then great.”
Weise enjoys being trigger man
Dale Weise is having a lot of fun this season playing on a line with David Desharnais and Tomas Fleischmann.
“I’ve never really been the key shooter on our line,” said Weise, who has eight goals already this season and needs only two more to tie his career high. “With those two I try to get in the slot as much as I can, try to get open. Let them work down low and make plays. Davey’s obviously a pass-first kind of guy and I think Fleisch likes to pass it a little more than he likes to shoot. I’m happy to shoot the pucks and get to the front of the net.”
Weise has also never played with a centre like Desharnais before.
“No disrpecespect to any centre I’ve played with, but Davey’s by far the best player that I’ve played with,” Weise said. “He just does so many things well. He protects the puck so well for a small guy, he competes. There’s sometimes when he’s in a one-on-one battle and I want to come support him and he’s always yelling at me: ‘Don’t come in there, just get open.’ Because you know he’s going to win his battles. He’s doing an incredible job this year.”
As for Fleischmann, Weise said: “He’s good at everything, that’s what impresses me. He’s good defensively, he’s smart, he thinks the game well, he’s got good patience. He’s extremely dangerous when he’s coming down that wing like he scored last game. He’s got a sneaky wrister. He just does everything well.”
The Weise-Desharnais-Fleischmann line has combined for 19 goals and 39 points in 19 games this season.
Domi early rookie-of-the-year candidate
The Coyotes’ Max Domi is an early favourite for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
The son of former Toronto Maple Leaf Tie Domi leads all rookies with eight goals and ranks second in rookie points with 16, five behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ Artemi Panarin.
The Coyotes selected the 20-year-old Domi in the first round (12th overall) at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Domi was born the same year that Coyotes captain Shane Doan was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by the Winnipeg Jets before the franchise moved to Phoenix.
Martin Hanzal leads the Coyotes in points this season with 17, including 14 assists.
Since the franchise moved from Winnipeg to Arizona after the 1995-96 season, the Canadiens have a 14-4-4-0 record against the Coyotes. The teams split their two meetings last season with the Canadiens winning 2-0 in Arizona and the Coyotes winning 3-2 at the Bell Centre.
Milestone approaching for Subban
P.K. Subban needs one more point to tie Jean-Guy Talbot for the 10th spot in most points by a Canadiens defenceman. Subban has 244 points (including 58 goals) in 385 games. Hall of Famer Larry Robinson is No. 1 on the list with 883 points.
Subban is the Canadiens’ current iron-man leader, having played in 225 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 30, 2013. Second on the list is Brendan Gallagher (163), followed by David Desharnais (137).
Habs lineup
Here’s how the Canadiens’ forward lines and defence pairings are expected to look against the Coyotes:
Pacioretty – Plekanec – Gallagher
Eller – Glachenyuk – Mitchell
Fleischmann – Desharnais – Weise
Byron – Flynn – Smith-Pelly
Markov – Subban
Beaulieu – Petry
Gilbert – Pateryn
This Date in Habs History
Nov. 19, 1940: The Canadiens purchased Jack Portland from the Chicago Black Hawks for $12,500
Nov. 19, 1950: Rookie goaltender Gerry McNeil recorded his fourth career shutout as the Canadiens beat the Black Hawks 3-0 in Chicago.
Nov. 19, 1953: McNeil earned his 25th career shutout in a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Forum.
Nov. 19, 1970: Henri Richard picked up three assists to lead the Canadiens to a 5-1 win over the visiting Maple Leafs.
Nov. 19, 1975: Ken Dryden recorded his 21st career shutout and Yvan Cournoyer scored a goal and added two assists in a 6-0 win over the North Stars in Minnesota.
Nov. 19, 1984: Larry Robinson became the fifth defenceman in NHL history to record 500 career assists as the Canadiens lost 6-4 to the Maple Leafs at the Forum.
Nov. 19, 1990: Gilbert Dionne played in his first NHL game for the Canadiens in a a 5-2 win over the Nordiques in Quebec City.
Nov. 19, 1998: Goaltender Jeff Hackett played his first game with the Canadiens in a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames.
(Source: Carl Lavigne/Montreal Canadiens)
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