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Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien said that it is likely that Alex Belzile will make his NHL debut in game four on Friday afternoon.
Claude Julien says Alex Belzile is likely to replace Jake Evans tonight. He would be making his NHL debut at age 28 in a playoff elimination game.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) August 7, 2020
The 28-year-old played in the exhibition game against the Toronto Maple Leafs before leaving after taking a hit by Jake Muzzin. Belzile would be playing his first NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has never played an NHL regular season game,
He had seven goals and seven assists in 20 AHL games for the Laval Rocket this season.
Belzile would be replacing Jake Evans, who left game three on Wednesday after hitting the glass hard. He would likely be playing on the fourth line. Julien did not mention whether he will start game four with the lines he went to midway through game three, or if any other lineup changes are to be expected.
The Penguins have announced that Tristan Jarry will start game four in place of Matt Murray. Julien said it will not affect their preparations for the afternoon game. If necessary, game five will be played on Saturday.