The Montreal Canadiens (13-2-2) are making two lineup changes for Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche (6-9-1).
Defenceman Greg Pateryn enters for Alexei Emelin, who suffered a lower-body injury in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday. Forward Alexander Semin, who was scratched from Montreal’s last seven games, draws in for Paul Byron.
Pateryn, who hasn’t played an NHL game this season, is coming off of a conditioning stint in the AHL. He recorded 10 shots on goal and was a minus-6 in three games with the St. John’s IceCaps last weekend.
Pateryn will be paired with Tom Gilbert, who shifts to the left side. The two played seven games together as a pair in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Defenceman Nathan Beaulieu moves into Emelin’s place next to Jeff Petry.
Semin, who has one goal and two assists in 10 games, will rejoin forwards Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller for Saturday’s game.
Forward Torrey Mitchell, who missed Friday’s practice for personal reasons, will be in the lineup. Mitchell and wife Brindy welcomed a second daughter, Emma, Friday.
The Avalanche come into Saturday’s game having won consecutive games for the first time this season. Colorado beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 Tuesday before recording a 3-2 in Boston on Thursday.
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was suspended for two games on Friday for his illegal check to the head of Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Third-string goaltender Calvin Pickard is in Montreal, replacing Semyon Varlamov, who suffered a lower-body injury Thursday morning.
Colorado’s lines for Saturday’s game are expected to be:
Mikhail Grigorenko-Nathan McKinnon-Matt Duchene
Blake Comeau-Carl Soderberg-Jarome Iginla
Cody McLeod-John Mitchell-Andreas Martinsen
Dennis Everberg-Ben Street-Jack Skille
Francois Beachemin-Erik Johnson
Nick Holden-Tyson Barrie
Brandon Gormley-Brad Stuart
Starter: Reto Berra
Montreal’s lines will be:
Max Pacioretty-Tomas Plekanec-Brendan Gallagher
Lars Eller-Alex Galchenyuk-Alex Semin
Tomas Fleischmann-David Desharnais-Dale Weise
Brian Flynn-Torrey Mitchell-Devante Smith-Pelly
Andrei Markov-P.K. Subban
Nathan Beaulieu-Jeff Petry
Tom Gilbert-Greg Pateryn
Starter: Mike Condon
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet. Prior to the game, the Canadiens will pay tribute to the victims of Friday’s horrifying attack in Paris.
Last January, after the attack on Parisian headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, the Canadiens played the French national anthem ahead of the Canadian and U.S. national anthems.
