The suspense won’t last long, but it’s unusual nonetheless.
For a rare time, Dominic Ducharme, the Canadian coach, did not want to reveal the details of his training for the match against Flames in Calgary.
PHOTO SERGEI BELSKI, USA Today
Canadian coach Dominic Ducharme
The two teams also met on Friday evening – a 4-2 win over Flames – and Saturday’s game comes earlier than usual, as no one trained on ice during the day. Ducharme did not speak to the media until 5 pm (Montreal time), two hours before the match began.
On the pretext of his unwillingness to “announce anything” to his opponents, he warned that several decisions would be taken “back to the match.” Many “uncontrollable” elements must be taken into account. Even the identity of the primary goalkeeper has been hidden.
You do not need to leave the school of investigators to understand the content of the decisions to be made.
Ducharme said Jonathan Drouen’s health is the main unknown in the equation: he is affected by symptoms (not related to COVID-19), he did not play Quebec on Friday, and “he is not doing much better.”
If he has to be absent again, the coach has few options.
Either he releases a formation of 11 forwards and 7 defenders again as the day before. If so, Eric Gustafsson would play a second match with his new team or Brett Colak would return.
Either the Hab makes an emergency call to count 12e attacker. In CH’s current financial position, either Jake Evans or Michael Frolik could play the meeting.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, Press Archives
Cole Caufield
The most perverse scenario, for now, concerns Cole Caufield. It is fed by mystery around the guards.
Brief Explanation: The Canadian does not have the necessary space under his salary cap to include Cofield in his training. However, if Cayenne Primo is abdicated to the reserve team and Charlie Lindgren is called up, the young starlet could play his first game in the NHL.
Primo was scheduled to play a game in Calgary, possibly Saturday night, because Jake Allen was spontaneous on Friday. If the CH administration proceeds with this complex plan, then one can assume that Allen will start and Lindgren will be a relief.
We can never blame the Canadian for not knowing how to preserve the mystery …
Price in Montreal
Photo by Eric Bolt, USA Today archive
Alex Chiaison E Carey Price (31)
However, Dominic Ducharme confirmed that Carrie Price, who suffered a concussion on Monday against Edmonton Oilers, has returned to Montreal. He did not let go of the team bubble, however, as he jumped on the charter plane that took Charlie Lindgren to western Canada earlier in the week.
The price will be subject to treatment in the city. According to Ducharme, he is unlikely to jump on ice again at the start of the week. And he summarized: “We cannot say that his situation has changed a lot.”
Price was injured when Oilers striker Alex Chiaison called him.
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