Thursday Habs Headlines: Canadiens’ defence needs to be better

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• The defence will need to be better if the Canadiens are to have any chance versus Pittsburgh. [Sportsnet]
• Alex Belzile was unable to participate in yesterday’s practice after being hit head-first into the boards on Tuesday. [Canadiens.com]
• Jonathan Drouin knows he and his teammates can get better than they were versus Toronto, but also acknowledges there isn’t much time left to iron out the kinks. [Radio-Canada]
• No matter how much progress is made, it’s going to be a daunting task versus the Penguins. [La Presse]
• Phillip Danault mentioned just how different it is to play a competitive game with no fans in attendance. [Journal de Montreal]
• Hear what Brendan Gallagher was saying in the Canadiens’ practice ahead of the exhibition game:

• Charles Hudon was late for the shuttle from the hotel to the rink yesterday, missing the only mode of transportation allowed for players in the bubble. The coach wasn’t overly concerned, and also doesn’t view his lineup decision on Tuesday as favouring Belzile over Hudon. [La Presse]

Around the league and elsewhere

• The short qualification series after a long layoff are reminding some coaches of the old best-of-five days in the NHL. [Yahoo! Sports]
• Jesse Puljujarvi isn’t ruling out a return to the Edmonton Oilers now that they have new personnel in place. [TSN]
• The Chicago Blackhawks will no longer allow fans to bring headdresses to their games. [TSN]