CH: Rem Pitlick back

MISE À DAY

The Montreal Canadiens recalled striker Rem Pitlick from their Laval Rocket academy on Wednesday, the day after the announcement of Jonathan's extended absence Drouin.

Demoted by the Habs after going on waivers last week, Pitlick collected three assists in as many games with the subsidiary in recent days. With the big club, he was unable to register a single point in seven games.

To return to Drouin, he will miss four to six weeks of activities due to an injury to the top of the body suffered during the Nov. 5 matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Do not take the opponent lightly

Defeated 5-1 by the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, head coach Martin St-Louis' squad trained in the morning and will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday evening. For the occasion, Samuel Montembeault will return to action.

Now, St-Louis expects a strong performance from his flock who will want to redeem their defeat. Also, even if the Jackets are having trouble as shown by their weak collection of 11 points in 15 outings, nothing should be taken for granted. Columbus has just disposed of the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

“Like I say all the time, I want guys to show up every day. It is this mentality that we must have as a team. How you are and those you face, it does not bother: I want your 100% every day, said the chief instructor in a press briefing. We must not let our guard down because the other team is having difficulty or because we think we are better than them. When you think it will be easy, that's when you get caught.”

Defensively, the Canadian will have to reduce the number of shots conceded – 39 against the Devils – in order to facilitate the task of its guardians. But for St. Louis, it's precisely the scoring opportunities that need to be watched.

“The shots tell a little something, but that's not the whole story. We think more about the chances of scoring on each side. If we give 25, it's a big amount, except if I also have 25, I'll accept it. On the other hand, the balance is not there if we give 25 and we get 12-15”, he estimated.

-The Canadian will have to pass once again Joel Armia, who will stay in town to treat an upper body injury. In addition, defender Mike Matheson trained with a regular player jersey, under the supervision of assistant coach Stéphane Robidas. Having not yet played this season due to an abdominal muscle problem, he is approaching a return to competition.