A dislocated kneecap, Suzuki on the bench please, a headache, and Gallagher soon to be surplus to requirements

Maxime Truman
A dislocated kneecap, Suzuki on the bench please, a headache, and Gallagher soon to be surplus to requirements
Credit: Screenshot / X

Today officially marks the beginning of the holiday season in my mind. First, because it's THE week of Christmas and everyone finally seems less in “work” mode , but also because the days are (finally) getting longer since the winter solstice yesterday. #ThisRime

My parents are separated and my partner's are here. As a result, we have four families to visit in a short space of time over the holidays. Not to mention dinner with friends and New Year's Eve!

Here's a tip for anyone entertaining during the holidays and lacking the time to coordinate everything: ask people to bring something. It divides the mental load… and the effect on the wallet. In short, long live potlucks!

Where am I going with all this? Well, I have so many topics in mind for my lunchtime text that I thought I'd do a news potluck. Go for it!

1. One of the two linesmen in action last night in Pittsburgh was injured early in the game. His knee took the brunt of a fall after a scuffle. Ryan Jackson left the match and never returned.

This morning, we learned that Jackson, son of former referee Dave Jackson, had dislocated his kneecap. If the kneecap is back in place on its own, Jackson may only have to miss a few weeks of work. However, he could also miss a few months (without surgery) if it had to be replaced. At least he avoided the worst-case scenario. So much the better!

2. Martin St-Louis once again sent Nick Suzuki into a shootout last night… even though he'd been 0 for 14 since mid-December 2023. Of course, Suzuki didn't score yesterday, bringing his record over the past two years to 0 in 15 in such circumstances.

Why constantly call on the captain—who's also not scoring on penalty shots this season—when you've got Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov waiting on the bench? As a coach, you have to make the best possible decisions; those that give you the best chance of winning the game . Yesterday, MSL didn't make all the right decisions.

Especially since Nick Suzuki had just played one of his worst games of the season before the shootout and the kid line was on fire.

3. The Canadiens are just two points off the top of their division (with a game in hand), despite a number of injuries and goaltending problems so far this season.

At least Fowler is posting a .915 efficiency percentage and Dobes is approaching the minimum threshold of .900 (.894). What are we going to do with Samuel Montembeault (.857)?

4. Phillip Danault was traded to the Canadiens on Friday night, minutes before Mason Marchment was traded to the Blue Jackets.

Marchment joined the Blue Jackets the very next day… and scored in his first game with the Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

I understand that Danault had a longer flight to catch (Los Angeles to Montreal) and that it was unrealistic to think he'd be facing the Penguins on Saturday at the Bell Centre, but it's still strange not to have seen him join the team in Boston yesterday.

Whatever.

5. Which forward will leave the Montreal lineup tomorrow to insert Phillip Danault?

Samuel Blais (1 assist, +1, one shot on goal, one blocked shot, and six checks in 8m32) doesn't deserve to come out of the lineup. Neither does Owen Beck.

Will Joe Veleno, who was unable to finish last night's game, be fit to play tomorrow? Did he injure himself during his bizarre contact with a Penguins player late in the third? Or is it just the spotters who pulled him out of the game as a precautionary measure, to run a few tests? We'll see.

6. Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj have been doing the job for a few games now on the third pair. Will Martin St-Louis and Stéphane Robidas bank on Jayden Struble's extra motivation in Boston tomorrow night? Or will they tell themselves that you should never try to fix something that isn't broken? I'd go with the second option… although Engstrom could be in for a big shake-up tomorrow.

Except that a Struble-Xhekaj pairing can hurt you defensively!

7. By the way, Martin St-Louis will have some tough decisions to make when the injured players return. Not sure there'll be room for Laine and Gallagher…

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