MTL@BOS: Hudon, Alzner in, Shaw, Juulsen to sit

BOSTON - The Canadiens held an optional morning skate on Saturday at TD Garden ahead of their showdown with the Boston Bruins, and Claude Julien announced some changes to his lineup for the event.

First, the Habs head coach told reporters that forward Charles Hudon would dress for the first time since picking up an assist in the Canadiens' 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on October 17.
Needless to say, the 24-year-old forward was ecstatic with the news.
"I'm really happy to be in the lineup. I think we've had some good games, so it's fun to come back in the lineup after a loss to help the team bounce back," shared Hudon, who has three points (2G, 1A) in six games this season. "Getting scratched is part of hockey. We'll see what happens next, but I'm just going to focus on the game tonight."

With Hudon drawing in, Julien announced that it would be Andrew Shaw sitting out to make room for him.
The Canadiens bench boss also said that defenseman Noah Juulsen would miss the game with an upper-body injury. The native of Surrey, BC took a therapy day in lieu of practice on Friday, and Julien explained that he would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
Juulsen's absence opens up a spot for Karl Alzner to return to action after not playing since October 20 in Ottawa.

Double digits for Kotkaniemi
When the puck drops at TD Garden, Jesperi Kotkaniemi will officially have played in his 10th NHL game, meaning that the first year of his entry-level contract kicks in this season. Julien took the opportunity to give an assessment of the youngster's play so far in 2018-19 and likened him to a former pupil of his from Julien's days with the Bruins.
"I think [Kotkaniemi] has done a really good job. For you guys here to compare, I see a lot of David Pastrnak in him," said Julien, who was in his eighth season in Boston when the Czech winger broke in as an 18-year-old in 2014-15. "A young player with so much talent. With time, experience, and learning the little details of the game, he's only going to get better."

Asked about whether he had done anything in particular to handle the Finnish centerman's development, Julien noted that it was important to be strategic about Kotkaniemi's usage and gradually expose him to different situations, similarly to the way he did with Pastrnak.
"We've tried to do the same thing, especially on the road. You have to try to protect those players, make sure you don't put them in situations where they're going to get exposed or lose their confidence. Those things are always easier at home with the last change, but he's responded well," he concluded. "He hasn't panicked."
Saturday night's game against Boston gets underway at 7:00 p.m. at TD Garden.