As if things weren't bad enough for the Montreal Canadiens right now, the team has lost one of its better players, at least for the short term. Habs head coach Claude Julien has announced defenseman Ben Chiarot will not be in the lineup Thursday night for Montreal's game against Edmonton as he deals with a lower-body injury.
Many questioned the signing of Chiarot by the Canadiens in the offseason. However, he's on track for a career year, with seven goals (already a career high for a season) and 15 points in 44 games. He's been excellent defensively as well.
With Montreal in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third straight year, Chiarot's injury couldn't come at a worse time. There's no word on how many games Chiarot could miss at this time. There was no indication when the injury occurred, but it was likely against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
There is some good news for the Habs as Brendan Gallagher may be back in the lineup Thursday. He told media he felt good enough to play at practice but needs to all clear from team doctors. Gallagher has been on the sidelines since suffering a concussion during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on New Year's Eve.
Montreal has really struggled with injuries this season as Jonathan Drouin, Joel Armia and Paul Byron, three of the team's better players, have all missed significant time.
-
