The Canadian will count on fresh forces for its duel on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, at the Bell Center.
Forwards Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher will return. Their return also means Anthony Richard has been traded to the Laval Rocket. As Richard was in Montreal under an emergency recall, the CH was required to demote him as soon as enough forwards were healthy.
On the ice, Dach’s return should have the biggest impact. Like Carl Pavano at the time, he is a big right-hander whose momentum was cut off by injury. In mid-January, Martin St-Louis had moved him to center permanently and Dach had amassed 9 points in 11 games before falling in action, while showing a differential of 2. But above all, he was playing an average of 20 minutes per game.
“It’s always frustrating. Look at [Kaiden] Guhle, he was phenomenal and his injury is a blow,” Dach recalled.
The youngster will make his return to the wing, however. In training, he formed a trio with Nick Suzuki and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard. “To help him come back, we’re going to start on the wing so he has less responsibility. He gave very good minutes in the center, and I imagine that he will play there, but tonight, we put him on the wing, “said Martin St-Louis.
The saga of Dach’s injury had been talked about in the cottages last month. On February 15, the Habs announced that they were missing practice because they were receiving “treatments.” The next day, the team justified their absence by speaking of an illness “unrelated to COVID-19”. A week later, “medical tests and a thorough assessment of his condition determined that the symptoms of illness felt were related to a lower body injury”, revealed the CH.
Dach didn’t really want to say more. “Everyone has sores and sometimes it just piles up and you can’t go on. The staff took good care of me,” he said simply.
For his part, Gallagher is attempting a second comeback. The veteran had missed most of December with a lower body injury. He returned to action on December 29 in Florida, a comeback that lasted three games. He has therefore missed 45 of the last 48 games.
He too would not divulge details of his injury, obviously to a foot due to the protective boot he was wearing, but he promised he would say more once the season is over. For now, however, he acknowledges that he may have tried to do too much. A colleague reminded him that he appeared to hurt himself during practice in Nashville on January 2, the day before his last game.
“It may have happened a little before, and it was increasing. In Nashville, it helped. But it was tough training, we were indebted [Editor’s note: the team had just suffered 7-2 and 9-2 losses], so I wanted to participate in it with the guys. As a player, you want to push yourself.
“It’s hard to change that mentality. It’s kind of in my nature, it’s hard to change. We are so used to it, we are constantly pushing. I imagine it will be up to me to be more honest with myself. »
With these two returns, the impressive contingent of injured people who watch the matches from the press bridge therefore loses some elements. Gallagher recalled that there was a consolation for the crippled: the brotherhood between players made everything less painful.
“Sometimes we have to stay downstairs because there weren’t enough chairs on the catwalk!” he recalled. The presence of Cole [Caufield] changes everything, it brings energy. He dances, he smiles. Cole never really has a bad day. »
Absent from training to undergo treatment, defender Chris Wideman will be at his post for the game, assured St-Louis.
Forward Jesse Ylönen was also absent with an illness “unrelated to COVID-19”. His status for the match was not specified.
Defender Jordan Harris and forward Jake Evans participated in practice, but dressed in blue jerseys, suggesting they weren’t given the go-ahead to cash in on contact.
Samuel Montembeault was the first goalkeeper to retire to the locker room and should therefore start the game in net. It would be his fourth straight start. This is the first time this season that he has had such a series of starts when the other goaltender, Jake Allen, is healthy.
