Talking internal competition

VANCOUVER - Competition on the back end was the topic of conversation on Friday afternoon, as a group of Habs hit the ice for an optional practice at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre on the campus of the University of British Columbia.

With eight healthy defensemen on the roster, playing time really is up for grabs.
While veteran Karl Alzner was a healthy scratch again for Thursday night's comeback win over Calgary, it marked the first time all season that Mike Reilly was forced to watch from the sidelines after playing 18 straight games.
Admittedly, the 25-year-old rearguard was caught off guard by the decision to take him out of the lineup, but posting a minus-3 differential in the loss to the Oilers earlier in the week certainly didn't help his cause.
"I think it was definitely shock. I definitely could be better," said Reilly, who is averaging just under 21 minutes of ice time per outing so far this year. "I think I wasn't great in Edmonton, and I'm not going to sit here and blame the team effort that we were bad. I think I've done some good things. I don't know when the next time I'm going to get back in, but the next time I do, I've got to raise my game and just be at another level."

The University of Minnesota product went on to expand upon his resolve to be a difference-maker for the squad that acquired his services in February in a trade with the Wild.
"How I can respond to it is probably the biggest thing. That's the most important. I want to help this team out," affirmed Reilly, who has one goal and four points during the 2018-19 campaign. "I want to be a part of it because it's a fun group of guys, we're winning, and I think they play my style here that suits me well. I love playing with our forwards and just the pace we play at. Turn the page here and once I get back in, I think I can be a go-to guy."

Going about his business with that type of confidence, according to Reilly, is a byproduct of the Canadiens' coaching staff giving him opportunities to "[play] in a ton of situations that [he] never played in" before.
And, he felt especially comfortable playing alongside partner Noah Juulsen.
"I think I was rolling pretty good there and I think we partnered well with each other. We enjoyed playing with each other. I think that was good having that kind of similarity going into each game," explained Reilly. "Maybe some of the other pairs were switching it out, but we were pretty set on going into each game. I felt good most of those games. It's just a learning experience, and hopefully I'll get back in here."
In Reilly's absence, it was Xavier Ouellet who patrolled the blueline against Calgary after missing a pair of games as a healthy scratch himself.
"Experience helps a lot. You learn that you don't have a lot of control in these types of situations and you can't worry too much about why, what's the reason. It doesn't matter," responded Ouellet, when asked if being a healthy scratch time and again in Detroit helped to prepare him if a similar situation arose in Montreal. "You just have to focus on what you can do. I learned that in the last five years [with the Red Wings]. I'm trying to focus on that as much as possible."

Don't expect head coach Claude Julien to be altering his approach when it comes to utilizing his defensemen anytime soon, though.
"I'm comfortable with the rotation. You base your decision on the performance of certain players. It creates internal competition. I don't want any of the guys to get comfortable. That's what gives us the best chance to win," mentioned Julien. "At the same time, you don't see anyone out for too long, which isn't a bad thing either."

Looking ahead to the Canucks
During his press conference, Julien confirmed that Carey Price would get the start in goal on Saturday afternoon against the Canucks at Rogers Arena as the Canadiens close out their three-game Western Canada road trip.
Price, of course, is coming off a 43-save effort against the Flames, giving the Habs a chance to rally and ultimately secure an all-important road win.
Price's parents, Jerry and Lynda, were in attendance at practice on Friday to watch him prepare for the tilt versus his hometown team.

The contest against Travis Green's club will mark the Canadiens' first game against 20-year-old Swedish sensation Elias Pettersson, who ranks second on the roster with 17 points (10g - 7a) in 15 games.
Eighteen-year-old Finnish phenom Jesperi Kotkaniemi is eagerly anticipating the matchup.
"I have just seen some highlights of him. He seems to be a pretty good guy and a great player, so I can't wait to meet him," said Kotkaniemi. "It's always fun to have guys your own age there, so I'm not alone."