from Stu Cowan of Hockey Inside/Out,

The Canadiens held a 10 a.m. open practice at the Bell Centre on Easter Sunday and attracted more than 17,000 fans to the Bell Centre.

Yet more proof that hockey is a religion in Montreal.

The Canadiens were coming off a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers the night before that put them in first place in the Northeast Division and second in the Eastern Conference with a 22-7-5 record, seven points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Habs played a classic rookie prank on Nathan Beaulieu at the practice, the morning after he made his NHL debut.

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