Canadiens Team Report

INSIDE SHOTS

The Canadiens are battling injuries and the salary cap as they attempt to stay within hailing distance of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Canadiens played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen Saturday night after sending rookie David Desharnais(notes) back to Hamilton after one game in the NHL.

Earlier in the week, general manager Bob Gainey said the team was at the cap limit and would be managing the cap on a daily basis. There are seven players currently on the sidelines with injuries, and they take up more $26 million in cap space.

The injuries are forcing coach Jacques Martin to shorten his bench, and there’s a danger of fatigue as the Canadiens’ top players are being asked to play more minutes than normal. For example, forward Mike Cammalleri played 26:17 against Washington, and Tomas Plekanec(notes) played 25:56.

The Canadiens used defenseman Jay Leach(notes) as a forward, but Martin showed little confidence in him and went with three lines for most of the night. Leach played only 1:11, and James Wyman played 2:50.

The Canadiens are hoping to get some injured players back Tuesday when they are home against their archrival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, but several of the players listed as day-to-day—Scott Gomez(notes), Andrei Kostitsyn(notes) and Matt D’Agostini(notes)—have had little or no practice in the last week.

Capitals 4, Canadiens 3  (SO): The Canadiens rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to go ahead 3-2 in the third, but they lost a valuable point when Eric Fehr(notes) scored on a power play at 19:48 to tie the game. Niklas Backstrom(notes) scored the only goal in the shootout as the Canadiens, who had won their first eight extra-time games, have now lost two shootouts in a row.

NOTES, QUOTES

• The Canadiens returned forward David Desharnais to Hamilton of the American Hockey League after one game. That left them with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the Washington game and defenseman Jay Leach was used as a forward.

• Injured defenseman Andrei Markov(notes) expects to return earlier than expected from tendonitis. He was supposed to be out until February but he’s skating and aiming for a January return and he’s also expecting to play for Russia at the Vancouver Olympics. He had dinner Friday with Russian general manager Vladislav Tretiak.

Quote To Note:   “I don’t like it. Some people might think it was a moral victory, but we let a point get away and we need all the points we can get.”—Forward Mike Cammalleri on the Canadiens’ shootout loss Saturday.

ROSTER REPORT

Goaltenders:   Jaroslav Halak(notes), Carey Price(notes).

Defensemen:   Roman Hamrlik(notes), Josh Gorges(notes), Ryan O’Byrne(notes), Paul Mara(notes), Marc-Andre Bergeron(notes), Jaroslav Spacek(notes).

First Line:   Mike Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec, Sergei Kostitsyn(notes).

Second Line:   Max Pacioretty(notes), Glen Metropolit(notes), Travis Moen(notes).

Third Line:   Tom Pyatt(notes), Maxim Lapierre(notes), Ryan White(notes).

Fourth Line:   Jay Leach, Kyle Chipchura(notes), James T. Wyman.

Player Notes:  

• G Carey Price made his eighth consecutive start and was strong after giving up two goals on the first three Washington shots. His record dropped to 7-9-2.

• C Tomas Plekanec scored his sixth goal of the season. He has two goals and six assists in the last six games and leads the Canadiens with 25 points.

• D Jaroslav Spacek returned to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised foot and he scored a power-play goal. It was his second goal of the season.

• LW Max Pacioretty picked up an assist and has points in five of the last six games with two goals and four assists.

Medical Watch:  

• RW Andrei Kostitsyn suffered a lower body injury when he was struck by a puck in the Nov. 24 game against Columbus. The Canadiens list him as day-to-day but he’s on crutches.

• C Scott Gomez left the Washington game on Nov. 20 with a groin injury. The Canadiens have him listed as day-to-day.

• D Jaroslav Spacek was injured when he blocked a shot in Phoenix on Nov. 12 but continued to play until he was scratched for the Nov. 24 game against Columbus. He returned to action for the Nov. 28 game against Washington.

• RW Brian Gionta(notes) was a last-minute scratch for the Nov. 14 game in Nashville. Subsequent tests showed that he suffered a broken bone in his foot when he stopped a puck in the Nov. 3 game against Nashville. The Canadiens said he will be out indefinitely.

• D Andrei Markov was cut on the leg by G Carey Price’s skate in the Oct. 1 season opener in Toronto. He had surgery to replace damaged tendons and has resumed light skating. The Canadiens said he’ll be out until February but Markov said his goal is to return sometime in January.

• RW Matt D’Agostini suffered a concussion and a knee injury when he was hit by Chicago’s Andrew Ladd(notes) on Oct. 30 . He isn’t suffering any ill effects from the concussion but is still experiencing problems with his left knee. He rejoined his teammates for practice on Nov. 27 but said he’s probably another week away from playing.

• D Hal Gill(notes) was placed on the injured list on Nov. 2 with a hairline fracture in his foot. Coach Jacques Martin said Gill had been playing with the injury for three weeks and doctors advised him to rest. He had been expected to return in late November but he only started skating on his own Nov. 27.

• C Benoit Pouliot(notes), who was acquired from Minnesota in a trade on Nov. 23, has a wrist injury. He’s listed as day-to-day but hasn’t practiced with the team.