BY WEB STAFF
sportsnet.ca
A couple of rookies will be front and centre when the Canadiens host the Bruins at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night.
Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick in this year's NHL entry draft, will make his preseason debut.
Seguin played on a line with grizzled veteran Mark Recchi and centre Patrice Bergeron on Monday when the Bruins held an intrasquad scrimmage and coach Claude Julien is likely to leave the trio together when the season kicks off.
"Those two guys have a young guy who's got great speed, great hands, a quick release and lots of skill," Julien told the Boston Herald. "A good veteran will take advantage of that, use that to get an edge on the other team's line, just by making sure they utilize that player properly. I think we've already started to see that.
"They've got a lot of confidence in him and he doesn't seem to be intimidated with playing with those guys. To me, I see those three guys being a real nice fit right now."
Meanwhile, the Canadiens will also have a rookie playing on one of their top lines on Wednesday.
Aaron Palushaj will skate on a marquee line in his first exhibition game with the Montreal Canadiens and coach Jacques Martin says he earned that honour.
The right winger picked up last March in the trade that sent Matt D'Agostini to the St. Louis Blues will skate with 2009-10 team scoring leader Tomas Plekanec and sniper Mike Cammalleri when the Canadiens open their pre-season schedule hosting the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
It will be the first of five games in six nights for the Canadiens, who play five of their seven pre-season contests at home.
"I'm excited for the game for sure," said Palushaj, a 21-year-old from Northville, Mich., who has been scoring goals regularly in intra-squad games at camp. "To be honest it makes it a lot easier (playing with) two unbelievable players.
"You just keep it simple and play hard."
Palushaj was playing for the Blues' farm club in Peoria, Ill., when he was traded. He moved to Montreal's top affiliate in Hamilton, joining the Bulldogs in time for a strong regular-season finish and a run to the AHL final.
"When I got the evaluation from Hamilton last year, the coaches felt he was our best player in the playoffs," said Martin. "This is a first opportunity for me to see him play.
"He's helps our depth. He has good speed and offensive skill and it will be good to see him in the next week or two."
Without naming his lineup, Martin hinted strongly that it will be a first pre-season game for the Canadiens 2009 top picks (centre Louis Leblanc) and 2010 (defenceman Jared Tinordi).
Veteran Jeff Halpern, signed as a free agent this month, is likely to centre a line with Maxim Lapierre and Tom Pyatt. Ben Maxwell should play between Travis Moen and Benoit Pouliot.
Leblanc is likely to skate with big Ian Schultz and either Andrew Conboy or Gabriel Dumont.
Carey Price and Curtis Sanford will each play half the game in goal.
Veterans like Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez as well as young defenceman P.K. Subban are expected to see their first pre-season action Friday against Ottawa.
-- With files from the Canadian Press
