With the NHL playoffs set to start in a week, the Montreal Canadiens only have a couple of games left in their regular season schedule, and Max Pacioretty will be missing both of them when the Habs take on the Detroit Red Wings at home on Thursday and visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty to Miss Final Two Games
Canadiens head coach, Michel Therrien made the news Wednesday by also not disclosing what Paciretty’s situation is besides an upper-body injury.
“He’s a guy that had quality ice time, not only offensively but defensively. At the end of games when we’re up a goal, he’s the guy we send on the ice. We used him on the penalty kill. But don’t make the mistake of tossing him aside. There’s a possibility he plays next week.”
Head coach Michel Therrien confirms Max Pacioretty met with team doctors. He will not play the team's next two games. Upper-body injury.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 8, 2015
Max was taken out of Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers after he collided with Panthers’ defenceman, Dimitri Kulikov, landing awkwardly in the boards and hitting his head.
With the playoffs around the corner, this could be a big blow to the Montreal Canadiens team if Pacioretty isn’t ready for game one against whomever they end up facing in the first round. With being healthy all season to be able to play all 80 games played thus far, Pacioretty leads the team in both goals (37) and points (67), while sitting fourth in the NHL goal scoring race.
Even with 26-year old’s outstanding efforts, the Canadiens may rank first in goals against average but are down on the ladder in offence only ranking 22nd overall.
The next top three goal scorers for Montreal are Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher, who are both at 24, and then Alex Galchenyuk with 20.
The Canadiens sit at 106 points on the season, good for first in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
