Changes a-comin'

BROSSARD - The Canadiens took to the ice with new forward line combinations at practice at the Bell Sports Complex on Friday, changes made in anticipation of the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Bell Centre on Saturday.

The most notable switch was Tomas Plekanec's return to one of the "regular" four lines, a switch that came at Matthew Peca's expense.
The experience the 35-year-old Plekanec can offer will be an important tool for the Habs to use against the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, especially after Montreal endured a difficult night in the faceoff dot - Claude Julien's troops won just 23 of the 60 draws they took against the Los Angeles Kings in Thursday's home opener.
That said, Julien wouldn't confirm whether No. 14 would be in the lineup on Saturday to face the Penguins.
"We for sure had some trouble in the faceoff circle. It's one of the areas we need to improve on. Tomas can help us," said the coach, who slotted the Czech center between Charles Hudon and Andrew Shaw. "For me today, it was to put him in that position and see how the line would look. I reserve the right to make my decision tomorrow, but it's a possibility."

Regardless of the line combinations Julien will feature against the Pens, faceoffs were on the agenda at practice on Friday morning.
"It was tough last night in the faceoff circle against some big centers like Anze Kopitar, Nate Thompson, and Jeff Carter," suggested Phillip Danault. "We have to find a way to win those. We worked on that part of our game today and on different techniques."

Scratched for the first three games of the season, Plekanec admits the past couple of weeks haven't been easy.
"It's never fun to watch games from the press gallery," shared Plekanec, who will be playing his 999th career game if he is to get the call on Saturday. "There are a lot of things you can't control as a player so I just tried to work on the things I can control."
He may be close to the 1,000-game milestone, but Plekanec asserts that's not why he decided to come back to Montreal this season.
"For sure, it's an interesting milestone, but it's not the reason why I signed with the Canadiens in the offseason. I'm happy to be back here and to play for the team I've been with for so many years," outlined Plekanec."I want to help prove that this team is better than people think. Hopefully, I'll get back into the lineup."

Drouin with Domi and Lehkonen
Another line combo change of note sees Jonathan Drouin joining up with Max Domi and Artturi Lehkonen, a change the coach says he made largely in part to Drouin's performance thus far.
"You need guys like him to produce. We need to help him and find the best position possible for him to succeed. A part of that is on Jonathan and a part is on the coaching staff," noted Julien. "It's a partnership between us. We're looking to find the best combinations possible. Jonathan and Max built some chemistry during training camp, so we'll see."
The man at the heart of the change recognizes that he hasn't had the start to the season he was hoping for.
"I'm not producing the way I'd like to, but I think there will be periods like that every season," said Drouin. "I have to continue doing what I'm doing. I have no doubt that I'll break out of it."

The Canadiens host the Penguins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre at 7:00 p.m.