MTL@EDM: Antti Niemi gets the nod in Edmonton

EDMONTON - Goaltender Antti Niemi will make his second consecutive start for the Canadiens on Tuesday night as they open their annual Western Canada road trip at Rogers Place.

Head coach Claude Julien confirmed the news following the morning skate.
It will mark the second time this season that the 35-year-old Finnish netminder has started back-to-back games for the Habs.
It last occurred in mid-October, when Niemi backstopped Julien's contingent to wins over Pittsburgh and Detroit.
He boasts a 4-1-0 record in five starts on the year, along with a 3.30 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.
He also has an impressive 12-3-3 record in 20 career appearances against the Oilers over the years.
"There's no hidden agenda. We made a decision," responded Julien, when asked why Niemi was getting the nod over six-time All-Star Carey Price for the second game in a row. "We know that with these three games out West, you're going to see both goaltenders. Tonight it's Niemi, and we'll work on next game."
While the veteran bench boss won't be making any lineup switches up front, there is one change to report on defense.
Following a two-game absence, Noah Juulsen returns. Veteran Karl Alzner will be a healthy scratch, as will Xavier Ouellet.
"Most of it [with respect to Juulsen being scratched] was injury. We didn't feel he was comfortable. He was cleared to play, but he didn't look 100% comfortable. We had some guys that were 100% healthy, so it was a matter of giving him time to get to that level," explained Julien. "He is 100%, according to my conversations with the trainers and himself, so he's back in the lineup."

Keeping McDavid in check
Containing Oilers captain Connor McDavid is a tough task, but the Canadiens will have to find a way to do it on Tuesday night.
McDavid, who currently leads Todd McLellan's squad with 23 points (10g - 13a), has only been held without a point in three of the Oilers' 17 games so far this season.
The Habs understand the challenge that awaits them in their first of three straight road games.
"You can't talk about this team without starting with McDavid. Everyone knows how good he is. He's someone we're going to have to do a good job against. He's going to have his chances. We've just got to limit them as much as we can," said assistant captain Brendan Gallagher. "Then, there's the supporting cast. They've got a lot of really good players on this team."

Julien knows McDavid will surely put his group to the test.
"His speed is amazing. His change of speed. He just puts everyone on their heels," mentioned Julien. "There's no doubt, every team that plays him has to identify him to their team before the game starts. You do the best you can, and that's what we plan on doing tonight. We're going to do the best we can against a guy who, in my estimation, is by far the fastest skater in this League."
With weapons like McDavid in their lineup, it would be a mistake to take this Oilers group lightly - even if they've lost four games in a row.
"I think every game you've got to be ready to play. Every game, you're going to expect that team's best no matter what's going on, whether they've won 10 in a row or they lost 12 in a row. That doesn't change much for us," said Max Domi, who will be looking to extend his point streak to seven games. "We're going to worry about ourselves as a team."

Thank you, Western Canada!
The Habs have always enjoyed strong fan support in Western Canada, and Gallagher fully expects that to be the case again this time around.
"It's always a fun atmosphere when we come here. There are a lot of Habs fans on this Western swing. They come out, and they only get to see us once a year. It's important that we play well," said Gallagher, who was born in Edmonton. "I think we're all looking forward to the challenge tonight."
It goes without saying, of course, that Gallagher always relishes the opportunity to play in front of family and friends back on home turf.
"You want to put on a great show," concluded Gallagher. "You want to win the game, first and foremost. A lot of them are Oilers fans, but hopefully for tonight they're rooting for our side and we can make them happy."