Marco D'Amico just reported that Martin St-Louis confirmed Josh Anderson is out tonight for personal reasons, as the Canadiens visit the Maple Leafs.
It's a notable absence for a forward who has been one of Montreal's loudest voices this week.
Owen Beck draws into the lineup in his place.
Marco D'Amico noted that St-Louis gave the personal reasons as the explanation and that Beck is the one coming in.
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The sheet lists no injury for Anderson, so nothing points to a physical issue. Nothing else has been shared about the situation, and it's best left there.
On the ice, Montreal loses a winger who has 7 goals and a +8 rating through 16 games. He also owns the team's only game-winning goal in that group of numbers on this sheet, with 1 GWG.
Anderson also made headlines Wednesday, when he called out several specific Canadiens players after the 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets. The locker room followed his lead, according to our coverage at the time.
What Owen Beck brings to the Canadiens lineup
Beck is a 22-year-old center and a former 33rd overall pick of Montreal in 2022. He has 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games this season.
He has 33 NHL games on his résumé, so this is a player still trying to turn a fringe role into a permanent one. A game in Toronto, with Anderson's spot open, is a fair audition.
The Canadiens come in rolling. They are 10-3-3, sitting second in the Atlantic Division, and they went 7-1-2 over their last 10. The last game was a 5-4 overtime win over Utah on Thursday.
That's a team with room to absorb one night without Anderson. But his physical game and his edge are hard to replace with a center sliding into a winger's role, and St-Louis will have to find the right balance on the fly.
Montreal hasn't said how long Anderson will be away, and that is the question to watch when the team next skates.
Quick hits
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: The Canadiens just confirmed Jacob Fowler starts in net tonight against Toronto, with Owen Beck in and Josh Anderson out. Montreal turns to its young goalie in a tough building.
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ST-LOUIS BLUES: Mason McTavish is a game-time call in Nashville, according to the projected lineup Jeremy Rutherford just posted. St. Louis will wait on that one until warmups.
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DALLAS STARS: Bruce LeVine reports Jake Oettinger is in the starters' net ahead of tonight's game against San Jose. No surprise there.
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CAROLINA HURRICANES: Walt Ruff reports Rod Brind'Amour says Alexander Nikishin is slated to make his season debut tonight when the Hurricanes host the Blackhawks. A fresh face on the blue line.
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Connor Bedard skated between Tyler Bertuzzi and Roman Kantserov at morning skate ahead of tonight's game in Carolina. Kantserov gets a big look on that wing.
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Should the Canadiens lean on Owen Beck full time while Josh Anderson is away?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Hurricanes make their Alexander Nikishin decision after months of waiting
