'We're trying to bring the best out of each other'

WINNIPEG - Xavier Ouellet's first appearance of the season with the Canadiens was a good one.

SHOP: St. Patrick's cap
On Monday night, the 27-year-old defenseman made the most of his 13:12 of ice time, dishing out three hits and blocking two shots in Montreal's 4-2 victory over Winnipeg at Bell MTS Place.
It was Ouellet's first outing with the big club since August 21, 2020 when the Habs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers in the Toronto bubble.
"I think I did well in my first game. I felt good on the ice. I felt better and better as the game went on. That's a good sign. I was ready," said Ouellet, who played eight games with the AHL's Laval Rocket this year. "I'm not discouraged. I have to prove myself every year. I waited for my opportunity to show what I could do. I'm where I want to be right now."

Interim head coach Dominique Ducharme featured Ouellet alongside rookie Alexander Romanov, which suited the Rocket captain just fine.
The eight-year veteran appreciated the opportunity to work with the 21-year-old Russian blueliner, and he's eager to see the pairing's potential.
"Romanov is very competitive and he works extremely hard. I think we complement each other well," praised Ouellet, before stressing the importance of frequent chatter with a new partner. "When you play with younger players, it's important to communicate well. We have to talk on the ice and on the bench to help each other out. That's what I try to do during games and that's what I'll continue to do. We're trying to bring the best out of each other."

Ducharme believes adding the former second-round selection into the mix against the Jets made perfect sense given his gritty style.
"He's with us because he deserves it. He works hard and he's a proud competitor," explained Ducharme. "You have to earn your spot every night in the NHL. His competitive side makes him an important asset for our team right now."
'Playing defensively is all about will'
Following Wednesday's morning skate, captain Shea Weber was asked about Jesperi Kotkaniemi's steady development in his third season with the Canadiens.
With two goals in his last four games and seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 10 contests since the coaching change, the 20-year-old Finnish centerman is clearly trending in the right direction offensively, but Weber believes he's making tremendous progress on the defensive side of things as well.

"He's definitely grown a lot. People forget that he's still really young and still young in this league. Young guys come in and play a lot and play well, but he just keeps developing. Especially in our zone, I find that he's grown a lot and he's starting to find his way a little bit more," said Weber. "He's learning, he's willing to learn, and we're going to need him to be that guy going forward."
Like the veteran rearguard, Ducharme appreciates Kotkaniemi's growth, and he's looking forward to seeing the former third-overall selection take further steps as time marches on.
"Playing defensively is all about will. Nobody is born good defensively. It's about will and awareness and willingness to do those difficult things. He's been through a lot of games in two-and-a-half years, and he's paying attention in all parts of his game. It's important to do that," mentioned Ducharme. "He's adjusting well. He's still learning, but we can see that he's getting better from one game to the other."

'He's a very similar guy to Ben'
Weber is adjusting to life without Ben Chiarot by his side.
Chiarot, of course, is sidelined for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hand sustained on March 10 in Vancouver.
Enter Joel Edmundson, who joined forces with Weber on Monday night against Winnipeg.
"He's a very similar guy to Ben in the fact that he's really solid, physical, and moves the puck well," said Weber, regarding Edmundson. "Obviously, Ben is going to be missed. He's a big part of our back end, but it also gives a chance for more guys to step up, play bigger minutes and produce a little bit more for us."

Speaking of producing, Edmundson has three points (3 assists) in his last four games, and his plus-26 differential is tops in the NHL.
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on TSN2, TSN3 and RDS, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.