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There are five games remaining in the regular season for the Canadiens and, with no chance of advancing to the playoffs, these contests can be viewed as an early start on next fall’s training camp.

Coach Claude Julien talked Friday about the continuing evaluation of players before the Canadiens flew to Pittsburgh for a Saturday night date with the Penguins (7 p.m., Sportsnet 360, City-TV, TVA Sports, TSN-600 Radio).

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“There’s a lot of times when you may be a little disappointed in a player and he ends up playing five great games and, all of sudden, you tell yourself that’s what we have the opportunity to see,” Julien said. “I don’t think anyone’e evaluation is done. It’s up to them to prove that they’re fighters as well. I want to see character, not just the evaluation on the ice. Is he a guy who’s going to fight to the end or is he just going to mail it in (and) say: Let’s get these games over with.”

Over the course of a season marked by injuries and disappointing performances, there are a number of players who have shown that fight.