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PROJECTED LINE COMBINATIONS AND GOALTENDERS
(Will be updated following game day skate.)

TOP SCORERS

► Is it time to hit the “Panic Button”?

• No, it isn’t, but don’t get rid of that panic button just yet.
• Sure, the third game of the series was nothing to boast about for the Habs because you don’t get points for using the invisibility cloak on defense. There’s been a tremendous amount of criticism directed at different players this series, most notably Carey Price, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty (I could have named more).
• The reality is that if the Habs are going to have any success, the entire team needs to play better, it’s not about just one player or position.
• The Canadiens feel confident that they can rebound after this loss and after all, they are only down 1-2 in the series and a win Thursday would put both teams back on even keel. Far from mission impossible.
• The game however is critical for the Habs because should they lose, this would put them in the position to have to win three consecutive games in order to beat the Senators and break through to the second round.

► Rene Bourque continues to play well despite scare:

• Every fan of the Montreal Canadiens held their breath when in game number two, Rene Bourque and Colby Armstrong collided in front of Craig Anderson’s net.
• Bourque went down and looked obviously shaken, and everyone was quickly reminded that Bourque had missed 21 games this season with a concussion.
• It was reassuring to have the Canadiens issue a communication later that night that Bourque was okay.
• It was even more reassuring to see him play Sunday when he was arguably the best Canadiens’ player on the ice. He scored the only goal for the Habs, had four shots on net, three hits and a takeaway (He also had a crosscheck or two but we won’t go there, or did we?).
• Bourque now leads all Canadiens with two goals and three points in the playoffs.

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Coach Michel Therrien:

• “We’ve shown a lot of character all season long coming back after a bad performance. Yesterday was a bad game for us. The Senators played a really good game and they deserved to win. What’s important for us is today’s preparation for tomorrow’s game. The focus is to make sure we play a good solid game like we did in the first two. We’ve proven in the past that we’re capable of bouncing back. We have to bounce back tomorrow.”

Brendan Gallagher:

• “Both teams are competing hard; both teams want to win. It’s competitive, it’s fun to play in and it’s fun to watch. It’s going to be important for us to play our game and not worry about little things that will happen that don’t have an effect on the outcome of the game. The best payback is getting the win.
• “We knew it was going to be an emotional series. From Game 1, it started that way and it’s going to continue every game. The team that manages their emotions the best is probably going to be the team that wins.”

P.K. Subban:

• “I’m happy seeing our guys stand up for each other. A lot of people maybe don’t expect to see us fight or get involved in the game physically. But I think it’s a vote of character. For people that say there’s dissention in our room or there are ‘issues’ in our room, to see 22 guys like Brendan Gallagher go out and fight a guy and not even think twice about it says a lot about our team.
• “A lot of those people are the same people that thought we wouldn’t make the playoffs and we ended up being second in our conference. For our team right now, we’re a confident group and we’re going to be ready for tomorrow.”