BROSSARD – The Canadiens were back to work at the CN Sports Complex on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after falling 6-4 to the Carolina Hurricanes in their home opener at the Bell Centre.
The focus of the day’s practice was clear: winning puck battles.
There were no line rushes, with the Habs instead spending much of the session working on small-area games, including a variety of three-on-three and four-on-four in-zone drills.
Winning battles has been an area of emphasis for Martin St-Louis and his coaching staff early in the season, and the head coach stressed that it’s not necessarily about technique.
“There’s not just one way to win a puck battle,” said St-Louis on Wednesday. “Sometimes it’s more the player’s attitude than their technique. It’s about pushing that message and compete level. You need to find a way to win battles. It starts with attitude.”
Twenty-two players took part in the practice ahead of Thursday’s matchup with the Nashville Predators, who were also on the ice at the Canadiens’ South Shore facility on Wednesday.
