Defenseman Nikita Nesterov will make his Canadiens debut, and defensemen Andrei Markov and center David Desharnais will be in the lineup Tuesday. Nesterov was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. He will be paired with Markov, who will play for the first time since Dec. 17 after missing 19 games because of a groin injury. "First of all, we want Nesterov to be in a situation where he will be able to perform well, to communicate, to play him with Markov so he can learn the way we play, a few details that are different from the way he's used to playing," coach Michel Therrien said after the morning skate in Brossard, Quebec. "And with Markov, we're going to have to manage his ice time. Don't forget, it's been awhile since he's played, so those two things led us to put them together." Desharnais plans to keep it simple after missing 24 games because of a knee injury he sustained Dec. 6. "Just getting my timing back, I think that's the most important thing, not trying to do too much," he said. "When you're out that long, you miss the game and I'm going to enjoy the game tonight." Defenseman Jeff Petry will not play because of illness.
