The Montreal Canadiens will be without hard-hitting defenseman Alexei Emelin (lower body) for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday against the New York Rangers, according to the club's official Twitter account.

Emelin will be re-evaluated as the week progresses, reports TSN's John Lu.

Emelin had only 10 points in the regular season, but set a physical tone with 241 hits and 71 penalty minutes. He also finished third on the team with 127 blocked shots.

Look for veteran Andrei Markov and youngster Nathan Beaulieu to play expanded roles as left-sided defensemen.

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