TAMPA — The Canadiens held an optional morning skate at Amalie Arena ahead of their matchup against the Lightning.
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Here are the players who hit the ice:
| Saturday, April 2 Optional morning skate |
||
|---|---|---|
| F | D | G |
| 22 – Cole Caufield | 52 – Justin Barron | 34 – Jake Allen |
| 45 – Laurent Dauphin | 43 – Kale Clague | 35 – Sam Montembeault |
| 71 – Jake Evans | 54 – Jordan Harris | |
| 11 – Brendan Gallagher | 84 – William Lagesson | |
| 85 – Mathieu Perreault | 27 – Alexander Romanov | |
| 32 – Rem Pitlick | 64 – Corey Schueneman | |
| 25 – Ryan Poehling | 20 – Chris Wideman | |
| 56 – Jesse Ylonen | ||
First game for Harris, Savard ready to help
All eyes will be on Jordan Harris in his NHL debut tonight.
Harris could have different defense partners throughout the game, including David Savard.
Naturally, the 21-year-old Haverhill, MA native will likely be feeling a little nervous before puck drop, but Savard plans on easing him into the mix when they’re on the ice together.
“You just have to make sure that he’s comfortable by talking to him and helping him. It’s a two-way street. You need to remove that barrier, the fact that he’s a youngster and you’re a veteran. He became a part of the team when he got here. It doesn’t change anything if this is his first NHL game or his 500th. I see him the same way,” said Savard. “We’re out there to help each other and help the team win games, so we’re going to operate like that.”
With Harris entering the lineup, Chris Wideman will be a healthy scratch.
That leaves only Savard and Joel Edmundson with true veteran status on the back end.
Interim head coach Martin St-Louis classified 22-year-old Alexander Romanov as a veteran as well, even though he only has 119 games of NHL experience over the last two seasons.
Going up against a powerhouse Tampa Bay squad with Harris, Justin Barron and Corey Schueneman comprising half the defense corps isn’t cause for concern, however, according to Savard.
“They’re really talented kids, so it doesn’t really worry me. They move extremely well on the ice and we’re going to try to help them as much as possible. We want them to be confident and we’re going to let them know if we see some things out there,” he explained. “But, I don’t think they’ll have any issues playing well tonight.”
Video: David Savard on his impressions of Jordan Harris
Poehling eager to “end the season on a high note”
Ryan Poehling returns to the lineup after missing the last nine games with an upper-body injury.
The 23-year-old forward is hoping to be a contributor down the stretch as the campaign winds down.
“I just want to build on what I was building on. I feel like the last three or four games before I got injured were pretty solid. I just want to get back to playing to that speed,” said Poehling, who boasts five goals and 12 points in 45 games. “We’ve only got a month left in the season. I think that’s pretty easy to do, just work hard and hopefully end the season on a high note, not just for myself, but for the team, too.”
Video: Ryan Poehling on returning to the lineup
St-Louis hasn’t spent much time coaching the former 25th-overall pick, but he’s a fan.
The Hall of Famer was asked about Poehling’s potential.
“I don’t know where his ceiling is, but he’s got a nice foundation to really be a pro in this league. Where does he fall in the lineup? I don’t know. I think it’s too early to tell, but I feel like there’s a lot of growth in his game. I think he’s hungry to be successful,” noted St-Louis. “We’re going to try to find out where his ceiling is. Is that in a week, in a month, in a year? I don’t know, but we’re going to keep working with him and giving him opportunities to find that ceiling.”
Video: Ryan Poehling has shown some skill this season
From Ryan to Jordan
Poehling’s NHL debut on April 6, 2019 at the Bell Centre was the stuff of legends, of course.
Remember his hat trick and shootout-winner against the Maple Leafs?
Video: Ryan Poehling rewatches his first NHL game
The St. Cloud State University product has been spending some quality time with Harris on the road, and he offered up some advice.
“I just told him to enjoy it. You only get one first game and he’s got to make the most of it. Everyone’s going to remember theirs. It’s just special,” said Poehling. “It’s a “just play your game” type of deal and have fun with it. I know he’s going to do a good job of that tonight.”