Corey_Schueneman

BROSSARD -- The Canadiens held an optional practice at the Bell Sports Complex on Friday.

Here are the players who hit the ice:
Medical Updates: Drouin and Gallagher
Just as the workout got underway, the Canadiens updated the status of forwards Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher.
Drouin is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.
He also remains at home after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
Gallagher, meanwhile, is sidelined for one week with a lower-body injury.
Letowski on Schueneman: "He's been a pleasant surprise"
Corey Schueneman has opened up plenty of eyes with his play this season.
Count assistant coach Trevor Letowski among the 26-year-old defenseman's biggest fans.
Schueneman caught the former NHLer's attention in a number of ways during his 14 games with the Canadiens.
"He's been a pleasant surprise. It's my first year here, so I didn't have any prior history with that player, but I think that the way he carries himself, with the type of poise that he plays with, for a pretty inexperienced player at this level, is pretty impressive," praised Letowski. "That's what we like most about him. He's not afraid to fail, and that's part of what Marty is trying to bring here, to let players play and be creative. He's done a great job of that, and that's what we want from those young players, to feel free and go make plays."
Video: Corey Schueneman on his work on the power play
The Western Michigan University product credits assistant coach Luke Richardson for easing his adjustment to hockey's highest level.
Richardson, who played 1,417 NHL games on the back end, manages the club's blueliners.
"A lot of times I'll come off the ice and he'll see something or he'll say something. He'll bring out the iPad," explained Schueneman. "He's been very helpful in my development, especially with the defensive game."
Schueneman says scoring his first career NHL goal on March 17 against Dallas also boosted his sense of self-assurance.
Video: DAL@MTL: Schueneman winds up for slap shot from point
He's more inclined to skate freely and try to make plays.
"Anytime something good happens or you get a big goal, it's going to help a little bit. That should be a strength of mine, skating, especially with the puck," stressed Schueneman. "That plays into our offense and how we want to play as a team. We want to keep the puck, play with it and use each other, so that helped a little bit in the confidence aspect."
Never surrender
The Canadiens aren't playing like a team that sits in the League basement.
Case in point was their performance against the high-flying Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Under interim head coach Martin St-Louis, this squad just doesn't quit.
"There's a real positive energy to the entire group, be that players or staff. There's a true expectation to win hockey games right now. Every player believes, before the puck's dropped, that it doesn't matter the opponent, we can beat them," explained Letowski. "You can feel that energy throughout the team. Marty's done a great job of that, from Day 1, of setting that bar pretty high, that expectation that we can be successful if we execute what we want to do and play within the concepts we're trying to teach the players."
Video: Trevor Letowski on the play of Corey Schueneman
The Habs have a busy weekend ahead with a back-to-back on tap.
After facing the Maple Leafs on Saturday night at the Bell Centre, they battle the Devils on Sunday night in New Jersey to begin a four-game road trip.