The Montreal Canadiens have done well while battling the injury bug. They finally get some relief tonight as Alex Galchenyuk and Andrew Shaw return to the lineup after prolonged absences.
The Montreal Canadiens have been fighting the injury bug and losing the battle for the past six weeks. It all started when star first line center Alex Galchenyuk went down with a significant knee injury on December 4th.
Injuries piled up since, but the Habs will finally get Galchenyuk back tonight when they face the New York Rangers. Right Winger Andrew Shaw will also be in the lineup. He has been out since suffering a concussion on a dirty head shot by Boston Bruins defenceman Torey Krug.
Galchenyuk has missed the past 18 games, while Shaw has been sidelined for 15 straight contests. The Canadiens have impressed without their most important forward, but will welcome Galchenyuk back with open arms.
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Galchenyuk was leading the team in scoring at the time of his injury. The American center scored nine goals and 23 points in 25 games this season. He will be skating on the Habs top line tonight with Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov as his wingers.
Galchenyuk’s 23 points still rank fifth on the team in scoring, even though he’s missed more than 40 percent of the team’s games. He’s just two points behind Paul Byron for fourth, showing how valuable he is to this team’s success.
Shaw was providing spark and scoring before concussion
Shaw was an offseason addition that was starting to work out exactly as planned. He is a feisty winger who battles hard for every puck and leaves every possible ounce of energy on the ice. The 25 year old right winger was starting to do just that before Krug tried to take his head off.
The native of Belleville has scored 12 points including five goals in his last 15 games before his concussion. Shaw will line up on what promises to be an excellent third line with Philip Danault and Paul Byron. Both Danault and Byron filled in admirably when called upon while the injuries added up.
The added depth is going to help the Canadiens immensely. They had seven players playing that started the season with the St. John’s Ice Caps. Though the team performed well, adding reinforcements after an embarrassing 7-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild will provide a boost to the team.
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The Canadiens face the New York Rangers tonight at the Bell Centre. The Rangers played last night and lost 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.