BROSSARD - The Canadiens skated at the Bell Sports Complex on Thursday morning ahead of the home opener against the Flames.
Following the on-ice session, defenseman Jeff Petry, forward Brendan Gallagher and head coach Claude Julien met the media.
Here are a few highlights from their Zoom-based Q&A with reporters:
Even though there won't be any fans in the building tonight, Petry doesn't expect the Canadiens to have any trouble whatsoever getting up for the contest:
I think all the energy has to come from within our group. It's an exciting building to play in when it's full, but the circumstances are different. It's important for all of us to make sure that everyone's ready to go.
Video: Petry on his pregame routine
Petry was also asked if the Canadiens plan on changing the way they go about their business on the penalty kill given that the Flames boast the sixth-ranked power play in the NHL, scoring on eight of 24 opportunities thus far:
I think we have to continue being aggressive. I think causing disruption up ice to make their entries difficult is important, and then in-zone, making sure that we're all on the same page. We want to pressure when it's available. When they have 100 percent control, that's where you've got to kind of read and pick and choose your opportunities to jump. But on a bobbled puck or things like that, that's when we have to be on our toes, take advantage of that, and get the puck down the ice.
Gallagher, meanwhile, fully expects the Habs will respond the right way to playing a team that has lost two games in a row:
We have that experience in our locker room where we know we have to show up and be ready to play. We know we're playing a really good hockey team. If we're not prepared to play, they're going to jump on us early. We know how they started their last game. They're always going to put some emphasis on that, so we can expect them to come out of the gates hard. But for us, nothing changes. We know how good of a team we can be when we're doing the things that we talked about, so it's about execution. Get your brain on right, get ready to play at puck drop. It's going to be a fun game. We're playing a really good team. It should be a really competitive atmosphere out there.
Video: Gallagher on preparing for the Flames
The Canadiens' alternate captain also anticipates a physical contest against Calgary as well with players like Matthew Tkachuk and Milan Lucic on their roster:
Yeah, it's coming. There's no doubt about that. They're going to come out strong, they're going to play hard, and they're going to try and up the physicality. The way we're built now, we can handle that. That won't be an issue. It's going to be a fun game to play. They're a desperate team, but we've got to match the desperation and come out with a little bit of excitement of our own. It's the first game at the Bell Centre for a lot of guys. It would obviously be nice with fans, but it's still exciting. It's just going to be a fun atmosphere. We know what they're going to do, we know what they're going to bring. Obviously you're prepared for that, but for us, just go out there and do our own jobs and worry about ourselves. We have confidence that we'll be on the right side of this thing at the end of the day.
For his part, Julien insists a big test awaits his players in the home opener:
That's a good hockey team. They're well-structured. But they've also lost two straight games. We have to realize that we're playing a hungry team. They want to get back on track. We'll likely face our toughest challenge since the start of the season.
Video: Julien on playing without fans in the building
Nevertheless, the veteran bench boss isn't concerned with the Flames outmuscling his charges:
I don't think it's something that worries us. When we look at the Flames' lineup, it isn't the first thing that comes to mind. They're going to be hungry and play their best hockey. I think we're more focused on that. But, I'd say our team this season is built to handle every situation.
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