Jordan_Harris

BROSSARD -- The Canadiens held an optional morning skate at the Bell Sports Complex ahead of their game against the Wild.

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Here are the players that hit the ice:
Quick hits
Interim head coach Martin St-Louis is making several lineup changes for tonight's contest.
Joel Armia (personal reasons), Jake Evans (illness) and Corey Schueneman (healthy scratch) won't face the Wild.
Armia was granted a leave of absence to attend to a family matter back home in Finland. St-Louis isn't sure if the veteran forward will return before the end of the season.
Laurent Dauphin, Mathieu Perreault and Jordan Harris draw back into the lineup.
Carey Price makes his second start of the season. Cam Talbot will start for Minnesota.
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Harris: Adapting to his surroundings
Harris was a workhorse in the collegiate ranks, but St-Louis has been easing him along at the NHL level.
The 21-year-old blueliner has watched the last three games from the press box as a healthy scratch before getting another shot tonight.
Harris, who has five appearances with Montreal under his belt, is averaging 16:10 of ice time per game under St-Louis.
"It definitely is different. You go from Northeastern where you play 25 to 30 minutes every game, and we obviously play less games. You have to find ways to stay in the game and keep your legs going," said Harris, regarding the transition to seeing less action since making the jump from the NCAA. "But, it's honestly been nice because you can kind of communicate with the different players more and you can learn more and pick up things from watching. But, you definitely have to try different ways to stay in the game and keep your legs fresh so that they're not sore or tired when you get out there."
Video: Jordan Harris on learning from watching
When he isn't in uniform, though, the Haverhill, MA native is capitalizing on every viewing opportunity from high above ice level.
Harris provided a detailed explanation of some key elements he observed recently that he hopes to integrate into his game.
"The thing that's been the newest, and I'd say hardest to adjust to, is all the movement in the neutral zone, especially when you come in with the puck. It's a lot more of a patient game. You hold the puck, you wait for guys to change, and that's been a little different and something that I've been trying to learn from watching. You just see the patience of the players, the changing of lanes, like not everything is straight-line. It's a lot of cutting, horizontally dropping pucks and movement," mentioned Harris. "One of the other things is below the goal line, learning how to defend and pick up pucks off the wall, so I try to watch different guys. All the defensemen on the team, these veterans have been doing this for a long time and doing it at a high level, so I'm just trying to pick up as much as I can."
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The former third-round selection added that he's growing increasingly comfortable in practice, which is obviously a positive sign.
It's a good indication that the adaptation process is well underway.
"I'd say definitely more in practice because we've had more on-ice sessions. That first game, you're so nervous out there and you have the jitters and butterflies. Like at first, everything's so hectic. You're just not trying to mess up drills at practice and you try to watch, and now it's a little bit easier," noted Harris. "You know some of the drills and you know some of the concepts a little better. Oftentimes you're playing with instinct when you join a team, but now you're trying to incorporate what Marty and all the other coaches have been preaching, so it has definitely slowed down a little bit."
Perreault: "I'm just happy to be playing tonight"
During his pregame media availability, Perreault spoke candidly about his situation.
The 34-year-old forward, who hasn't played since March 29, knows his future in the NHL is up in the air.
"I'm just happy to be playing tonight. I'll try to make the most of every moment I'm out there. I don't know when I'll get another chance to play in the NHL," said Perreault, a veteran of 703 regular-season games between Washington, Anaheim, Winnipeg and Montreal. "I have a chance tonight, so I'm happy and I'll try to have fun."
Video: Mathieu Perreault on getting a chance to play again
St-Louis commented on Perreault's reality right now.
The Hall of Famer knows this season has been especially difficult for the Drummondville native.
"It's never easy for players like that at the end of their careers to have that kind of experience. When Matheiu came into the league, there were veterans that were dealing with a similar situation. It's like the wheel that turns. But, it doesn't take anything away from his great career," said St-Louis. "I don't know if he'll play next year. I'm just talking about his career. I've always been a big fan of his game. He's a very intelligent player with good skills who can complement a first line or a third or fourth line. I'm happy that I had the chance to work with him here, too. I would've liked to have him at 25 or 26 years old, but it doesn't take anything away from his great career, and I'm happy he's in the lineup tonight."