BROSSARD, Quebec -- Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexei Emelin likely will play in his first game of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers at Bell Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; USA, CBC, TVA Sports, MSG).
The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2.
Canadiens coach Claude Julien said after the morning skate Emelin's status will be determined after warmups, but every indication was he would be in the lineup for the first time since April 5, when he sustained a lower-body injury in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
"I feel good and I'm ready," Emelin said. "Just [a] game-time decision."
Emelin was playing on the right side with Nathan Beaulieu on the third defense pair at the morning skate, leaving Montreal's top two pairings of Andrei Markov with Shea Weber and Jordie Benn with Jeff Petry intact.
Defenseman Brandon Davidson, who Emelin would replace in the lineup, remained on the ice after the morning skate with forwards Michael McCarron and Andreas Martinsen, neither of whom is expected to play.
Julien saw a lot of Emelin in the playoffs when he was coaching the Boston Bruins, and is eager to add Emelin's abrasive style of play to the lineup.
"He's a rugged defenseman who plays hard," Julien said. "He's a defenseman that you don't like playing against, and that's the part I think we missed with him not being in our lineup. … I think our team has done a good job, but definitely when he goes in there, I know that coaching against him our players kept their heads up when he was on the ice."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html
No comments:
Post a Comment