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NHL postpones five Montreal Canadiens home games

The NHL has postponed five home games for the Montreal Canadiens due to measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Few details have been announced yet about the decision, but more information is expected Tuesday evening.

The Habs are set to play the Tamba Bay Lightning on Tuesday, with Samuel Montembeault slated to defend the team in goal, and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and defenceman Corey Schueneman about to play their first career NHL game.

For Montembeault, it’s the first appearance since November 26. He’s 1-4-1 with a 3.65 GAA and .897 save rate in eight outings this season.

The 25-year-old Quebecer will be in goal since Carey Price (knee injury) and Jake Allen (COVID-19) are not available.

The Canadiens have nine players on the sidelines due to NHL protocol related to COVID-19. Seven other players are also on the sidelines with injuries.

The Habs will count on just four players who have salaries of over $1 million: forwards Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher, as well as defenders David Savard and Brett Kulak. Only six of the 20 players in uniform have at least 100 games of NHL experience.

“We have to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Drouin said. “There are guys who will be in their first game. Everyone needs to be comfortable with the system, even if the game isn’t changing.”

Harvey-Pinard will play to the left of Ryan Poehling and Cole Caufield. The Canadiens’ seventh-round pick in 2019, 201st overall, Harvey-Pinard has scored five goals and nine assists in 24 games with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League this season.

“It is certain that the circumstances are special with COVID and the injured [players], but I don’t see it like that,” said the 22-year-old Jonquiere native.

“Either way, tonight is a dream for me. I’ll give it my all.”

For his part, Schueneman was never drafted into the NHL and he will make his debut at 26.

“It’s been a long journey, sometimes difficult, sometimes frustrating, but I’ve never stopped working,” said the player, who has two goals and five assists in 19 games for the Rocket this season.

“I’ve always dreamed of this day and I knew it would happen eventually,” added Schueneman, who is expected to play alongside Sami Niku.

The Habs’ game will be the first since Dec. 16, when it defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout. The team’s following four games were postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks across the NHL.

In addition, the Canadiens recalled defender Louie Belpedio from his reserve group. The 25-year-old American has four goals and as many assists in 24 games with the Rocket this season.

Belpedio has appeared in the NHL four times in his career, all with the Minnesota Wild. He collected two assists.

In the Lightning camp, Maxime Lagacé will be in net since goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott are registered with the NHL protocol linked to COVID-19.

All-star forward Brayden Point will make a comeback. Point has been limited to 16 games this season and has not played since November 20 due to an upper body injury. He has seven goals and six assists this season.

Defenceman Sean Day will make his NHL debut.

Derek Lalonde will act as head coach in the absence of Jon Cooper, registered with the COVID-19 protocol of the circuit. Director of player development Jean-Philippe Côté will also be behind the bench.

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