Suzuki makes pre-season debut
Jesperi Kotkaniemi wasn’t in the lineup when the Canadiens faced the Florida Panthers in NHL preseason action on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.
Kotkaniemi, the team’s first-round pick (third overall) at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, scored a goal in his first preseason game Monday night at the Bell Centre as the Canadiens beat the New Jersey Devils 3-1.
While Canadiens fans didn’t get to watch Kotkaniemi on Wednesday night, they did get to see the team’s new No. 1 line in action with Max Domi at centre between Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia.
Nick Suzuki, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Max Pacioretty trade, also made his preseason debut, skating at centre between Paul Byron and Nikita Scherbak.
Fans also got to see goalie Carey Price make his preseason debut.
Price is coming off the worst season of his 11-year NHL career after posting a 16-26-7 record with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. The 31-year-old is heading into the first season of his new eight-year, US$84-million contract.
“Like I said at the beginning of the week, we have four games in (six) nights,” coach Claude Julien said after practice on Wednesday morning in Brossard. “It’s not a question of burning out the players at the start. It’s a lot of games . ... It gives us a chance for a lot of players to show what they ’re capable of.”
PRAISE FOR DESLAURIERS
Canadiens forward Nicolas Deslauriers is out indefinitely after having surgery to repair a facial fracture he suffered during a fight with the Devils’ Brandon Baddock on Monday night.
Last season, Deslauriers scored a career-high 10 goals while adding four assists in 58 games with the Canadiens. He was plus-7 and had 55 penalty minutes, including five fights.
“Nicolas Deslauriers isn’t just a fighter,” Julien said. “Me, I don’t have time for players who can only play that style. I want players who are capable of playing hockey and Nicolas is that type of player.”
Said Domi about Deslauriers: “I have so much respect for Delo and everyone around the league knows how tough he is. And now I know first-hand how good of a teammates he is. So I’m hoping for a speedy recovery for him. When a guy sacrifices his body like that in a preseason game ... we’re all trying to make a good impact here and make the hockey team. So much respect for that ... he’s a tough character, so hopefully he gets better soon.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Canadiens are back in action on Thursday night when they travel to Quebec City to face the Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals at Centre Vidéotron (7 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690). The Ottawa Senators will visit at the Bell Centre on Saturday (7 p.m., RDS, TSN 690 Radio).