Chris Kreider headed to the Canadiens' locker room in Boston tonight after a knee collision with Bruins forward Michael Eyssimont.
It happened in the third period. Eyssimont lost his balance in the neutral zone and went through Kreider, and the play looked accidental.
Karine Hains described the scene as it unfolded: Kreider ended up with a Bruins player in his legs, went down hard, then left the ice without putting any weight on one leg. Montreal went on to win the game 5-2, but the final score isn't what fans were talking about on the way out.
Kreider is 35 and the Canadiens are not a deep group up front right now. Ivan Demidov is listed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, expected out until at least Nov. 14. Oliver Kapanen has only 2 points in 11 games, so there isn't much cover if another forward goes down.
Kreider had been giving them something. He has 3 goals and 9 points in 18 games, and one of those goals was a game-winner.
What Kreider's absence would mean for Montreal
Nothing official has surfaced on his condition, and the injury report doesn't list him. That can change fast, and the team's next game is Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Entering tonight, the Canadiens were 11-3-4 with a 7-0-3 record over their last 10. Those three straight setbacks all came in extra time, which tells you how thin the margin has been. Losing a top-nine winger who can go to the net would squeeze it further.
Martin St-Louis already had plenty to chew on this week after Kent Hughes fielding calls on Samuel Montembeault and a lineup that keeps shifting. Montembeault himself is listed on injured reserve with a lower-body issue, and Michael Matheson is day-to-day with his own lower-body problem.
A knee injury to a veteran who has played 976 NHL games, and who has scored 351 goals in them, isn't something you shrug off. We think the Canadiens should treat Kreider with caution even if he says he's fine, because the schedule gives them room to be patient.
Saturday against Colorado is the first checkpoint. If he isn't in the lineup, Montreal will have to find a replacement fast.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Canadiens be cautious with Chris Kreider if he's cleared quickly?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Travis Green confirms scary Nick Cousins update after huge Chychrun hit
