DENVER – Michel Therrien will be breaking out a rare line combination in Denver on Wednesday night.
Since arriving in a trade for Jaroslav Halak along with Ian Schultz in the summer of 2010, Lars Eller has played with 31 different linemates in Montreal, including nine in 2015-16 alone. He’s shifted from center to wing and back to center again. He’s been shuttled from getting top line minutes to hitting the ice as a third-line checker.
Now, with David Desharnais out with a lower body injury suffered on Monday in Arizona, the 6-foot-2 forward will get a chance to line up alongside Max Pacioretty against Colorado, marking the duo’s first appearance together on a line since they were flanked by Erik Cole for a brief stint in 2011-12.