Bell Centre already buzzing
One night following the Habs' wild 8-6 loss to Boston, which included 46 penalties and a goalie scrap, the Bell Centre was buzzing this morning with people enthused about "old-time hockey."
Several of the Islanders were able to catch the game last night. Unsurprisingly, tough guys like Trevor Gillies and Zenon Konopka were fired up by the melee-filled madness.
"It was a little old school there. It was a really fun game to watch as a fan," Gillies said. "Obviously that's fun stuff for me. It's really cool to see both teams sticking together, that's what it's about."
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With the extra charge provided from last night's game, Bell Centre promises to be as entertaining as usual. Hard to prepare 22-year-old rookie Mikko Koskinen for a night like tonight. Suffice it to say that Bell Centre is a far cry from the Yard in Bridgeport. Should be interesting to see how he handles the atmosphere in his second NHL start.
"It's a big test, obviously. He was thrown into the fire with Kevin getting hurt in warmups the other night. At least he's had a day and a half or two to focus and prepare for the game, but it is a tremendous atmosphere here."
Koskinen said some teammates have already prepared him for what to expect.
"I've heard a couple things like there's singing and stuff like that. That's unbelievable. I like that kind of atmosphere."
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Bruno Gervais returns to the lineup tonight after missing two games with back spasms. Ty Wishart is out.
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Alex Auld is in goal tonight for Montreal tonight.
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