End of camp on the horizon

BROSSARD - With but one game remaining on the preseason schedule, the Canadiens are already seeing the end of training camp in sight.

For Claude Julien and team management, it means the time is fast approaching to start penciling in names on the club's opening night roster. And after practice on Friday, the Habs head coach admitted that - with stiff internal competition throughout camp - paring down his lineup won't be such an easy process this time around.
"We want to stretch out our camp as long as possible, because we have some very difficult decisions to make. We want to be sure we have a clear picture when the deadline for submitting the 23-man roster comes," explained Julien. "No decisions have been made. The discussions we have change constantly from day to day, so we're going to wait until after the game on Saturday to decide what our lineup will be."

Young veteran Phillip Danault, who has spent most of training camp pivoting a line with Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher, sees how tight the logjam is for roster spots this year and feels that's a sign that everyone came in, gave it their all, and that no one can be disappointed with what they brought to the table this fall.
"There was some good competition at camp this year. You could see that the level of play was very high. I know what it means to experience disappointment, but I think everyone can be satisfied with their camp," shared Danault, who's just 13 contests shy of reaching the 200-game plateau in the NHL. "When you make a good impression, you never know what the future will bring. The important thing is to not have any regrets after camp."

One player who most certainly will not have any such regrets is defenseman Xavier Ouellet. The French-born, Quebec-raised rearguard, who signed a one-year, two-way contract on July 1, has exceeded expectations at camp and is satisfied with the effort he's put forth.
"I think I've done what I had to do. I played some good games. All I can do is continue to be consistent," said Ouellet, a veteran of 141 NHL contests, all of them with the Detroit Red Wings. "It's hard not to think about the cuts but I just have to keep focusing on what I need to do."
The decisions Julien might have to make regarding Ouellet and others on the backend might've gotten a bit clearer on Friday after he announced that David Schlemko suffered a knee injury in Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The injury could keep Schlemko on the shelf for up to six weeks.

On the other hand, Matthew Peca - who took a therapy day on Wednesday in lieu of skating - announced that he was ready to go and would like to finish camp on a high note.
"I'm ready for tomorrow if I get the call," said Peca, who gave himself a mixed review when asked to assess his training camp. "I thought I had some good games, but there are definitely some things to work on. It wasn't nice sitting out, but when you're in the press box you get to watch a little bit and learn more. Hopefully, I could use it.

"You realize how much internal competition there is this year," he concluded. "It's extra motivation."