Kaiden Guhle joins Kirby Dach on the injured list.
Despite the horror that was last season, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis isn’t obsessing on the injuries in his lineup.
According to mangameslost.com, the Canadiens topped the league in man-games lost with 751. This season, they’ve already lost second-line center Kirby Dach to ACL and MCL tears in his right knee, and crucial defenseman Kaiden Guhle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
St. Louis believes his team’s depth will be able to compensate for the absences.
“We move forward, we don’t stop what we’re doing because we lost a player,” St. Louis said at the Canadiens’ practice facility on Thursday.
Kirby Dach of the Canadiens will miss the rest of the season due to ACL and MCL rupture in his right knee.
“I know it’s hard to continue when you lose players as much as we did last year, but the rest of the league doesn’t care if we’re injured, the league moves forward.”
“I think we have more depth, more experience than last year, so I’m not worried.”
David Savard, the Canadiens’ workhorse, has been sidelined indefinitely due to an upper-body injury.
The Canadiens’ declaration on Thursday that Guhle was day-to-day was somewhat encouraging given Dach’s injury, but he might still be out for several games.
Guhle’s defensive partner in all three games this season, Johnathan Kovacevic, said “hopefully he’ll be back in a couple weeks.”
“It stinks. It’s a bummer for me. “Playing with him, being close to him as a friend, that’s just something you never want to see, and I’m wishing him a speedy recovery,” Kovacevic added. “Unfortunately, it’s part of the game with it just being a fast, physical game, things happen, so just unlucky.”
Guhle departed Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild late in the second period and did not return. He did not practice on Thursday. It was unclear when or how the damage occurred.
Through three games this season, the Edmonton native has one assist and a plus-four rating.
Guhle received the fourth-most ice time on the team as a rookie last season, averaging 20 minutes 31 seconds, but he also missed time due to a knee injury and a high ankle sprain. In 44 games, the 2020 first-round draft pick ended with four goals and 14 assists.
“We had a lot of trouble with injuries in the last couple of years,” goaltender Samuel Montembeault explained. “We were hoping for a better year this year, but we’re only three games in and we’ve already had two major injuries.”
“I said it last year, but I’m hoping there isn’t still a fan casting curses on us.” It’s unfortunate, but football is a contact sport.”
Christian Dvorak (knee) and Chris Wideman (back) are also out for the Canadiens. Carey Price, the goaltender, is still on the disabled list.
With Guhle out, seventh defenseman Justin Barron is likely to be called up.
Discipline is lacking.
The Canadiens lead the league in penalties taken (29), penalty minutes (85), penalty minutes per game (28:20), and penalty differential per 60 minutes (minus-2.59) through three games.
The time spent with a man down in Tuesday night’s setback, in which the Canadiens allowed three power-play goals, was particularly detrimental to Montreal’s ability to create momentum. This season, the Canadiens have only allowed one goal in five-on-five action.
“That’s gotta change,” St. Louis remarked of the fines. “We’re looking into it.”
“We’ve gotta tighten up because it doesn’t matter what you do at five-on-five if you’re getting yourself in trouble like that all the time.”
And how do teams reduce the number of penalties they take?
“A lot of it comes down to defending the right way,” forward Alex Newhook said. “If you defend the right way, put your body in the right spot defensively, a lot of the time you’re not in a position to take a bad penalty.”
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is off to a difficult start, with only one assist in three games.
Suzuki was the team’s leading scorer last season, with 26 goals and 40 assists in 82 games, and is one of the few talented offensive creators in the lineup, especially with Dach out.
St. Louis was candid about the first-line center’s season thus far.
“I would say, and Nick would say this too, he has to be better for sure,” St. Louis remarked. “But it’s a long season, and he’s a guy with league experience who I’m confident will find his form.”
“However, given how much he plays and his role, Nick owes us more.” I’m not concerned because Suzuki will be present. It’s sometimes a matter of confidence. He hasn’t forgotten how to play hockey in this place.”
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