Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi appears to be a healthy scratch for tonight's game versus the Buffalo Sabres. Habs beat writer J-F Chaumont was the first to report this news, followed by Sportsnet reporter Eric Engels.
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It has been an extremely disappointing sophomore season for 19-year-old Finnish center. He showed many flashes of great potential during his 11 goal 23 assist rookie campaign. This season has been the complete opposite. Kotkaniemi appears to have lost all of his confidence, posting just six goals and two assists in 36 games, along with a -11 rating. He certainly hasn't been the only disappointment for the Habs this season, as the majority of their players have fell far short of expectations which has resulted in the team being 10 points out of a playoff spot.
Fortunately for the Habs, they get one of their star players in Brendan Gallagher back for tonight's contest. Gallagher has missed 10 of the past 11 games due to concussion issues. The eight-year veteran is currently fifth in team scoring with 32 points, despite playing just 41 games. He and the Habs will look to rebound from a 4-2 loss Monday against the Washington Capitals.
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