AMC13 0114 Habs 0790The Canadiens may be keeping their basic season opening lineup together for team practices, but so far during the exhibition season, they are taking a long look at their prospects under game conditions.

Friday night in Quebec City, the Canadiens again will dress only the league minimum eight veterans while rookies like defencemen Magnus Nygren, Darren Dietz and Jarred Tinordi plus forwards Mike McCarron, Sebastian Collberg, Patrick Holland and Christian Thomas will continue to get a long look from the coaching staff.

While practicing regularly with Brandon Prust and Rene Bourque, once again Tomas Plekanec will not play.  He has yet to log a minute of exhibition ice time.  Andrei Markov will also be on the sidelines for the third straight game.

Don’t know what to make of the fact that Daniel Briere is not included while both Desharnais and Pacioretty draw in to the lineup for the second straight game.  We might see Therrien experiment with Collberg on their line.  And Alex Galchenyuk will be playing without his usual linemates Lars Eller and Brendan Gallagher.  Will we see him at centre for the first time?

Also notable – veteran forward Nick Tarnasky is in the lineup for the second straight night.

In an oddity, four of the six defencemen will be right hand shots.

UPDATE – Collberg will play right wing on a line with Desharnais and Pacioretty and Galchenyuk will be at centre between Prust and Christian Thomas.

The lineup –

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Collberg
Prust-Galchenyuk-Thomas
Bournival-Holland-McCarron
Blunden-Dumont-Tarnasky

Subban-Gorges
Pateryn-Tinordi
Nygren-Dietz

Budaj
Tokarski

The Numerical Lineup

Goal

30 – Peter Budaj
35 – Dustin Tokarski

Defence

24 – Jarred Tinordi (Left Shot)
26 – Josh Gorges (Left)
36 – Magnus Nygren (Right)
64 – Greg Pateryn (Right)
76 – P.K. Subban (Right)
84 – Darren Dietz (Right)

Forwards
8 – Brandon Prust – RW/LW
25 – Michael McCarron – RW
27 – Alex Galchenyuk – LW/C
37 – Gabriel Dumont – C
38 – Sebastian Collberg – RW
45 – Michael Blunden – RW
49 – Michael Bournival – LW
51 – David Desharnais – C
60 – Christian Thomas – RW
67 – Max Pacioretty – LW
72 – Nick Tarnasky – C
82 – Patrick Holland – RW