Canadiens: 3rd in the NHL this season for games missed due to injury

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated 4/22/24

Five Canadiens players played in all 82 games of the 23-24 season.

We’re talking about Jake Evans, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson.

It’s also interesting to note that Cayden Primeau and Samuel Montembeault have found a way to stay healthy.

On the other hand, injuries still hurt the Habs’ season.

The key players have been “lucky” in this respect, but when you consider that Kirby Dach hasn’t played all year… It’s not ideal.

At some point, maybe the bad luck will stop hitting the Habs…

But for now, he’s still one of the most injured teams, as we read in an article by Guillaume Lefrançois:

After “leading” the NHL in the number of games missed due to injury for the past two seasons, the Habs relinquished that unenviable title to the Vegas Golden Knights this season. Montreal still finished third in the league. – Guillaume Lefrançois

2023-2024 Habs season | Numbers and… numbers! https://t.co/vQVisVE37w

– La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) April 22, 2024

Could things have been different if Dach had played all season? If Alex Newhook hadn’t missed thirty games? If David Savard hadn’t played 60 games?

Probably not. But that’s why it’s hard to evaluate the Habs’ season, because the pieces of the puzzle weren’t all there at the same time.

Injuries happen to any NHL team, and I’m not making excuses for the Habs’ performance this season.

That said, it’s when all the guys are healthy that we’ll really get a better idea of what the Habs have on hand.

The first line was good this season, Mike Matheson was excellent, Cayden Primeau and Samuel Montembeault got the job done in front of the net…

But there’s still something missing for the team to be able to compete. And if the players can find a way to avoid injuries… it’ll probably get things moving even faster.

Breaking news

– Wow.

It must be reassuring for the Avalanche to know that Arvid Holm, their only healthy goalie after Alexandra Georgiev, has scored .887 this season… in the AHL.

– Simon-Olivier Lorange (@SO_Lorange) April 22, 2024

– Oh?

A heavy playoff loss?https://t.co/YIaZYmJekG

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 22, 2024

– What’s going on?

Play all 82 games of the season, but… miss the first of the playoffs?

“No update on Willy .” https://t.co/agNz4KpndP

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) April 22, 2024

– Love this.

Vancouver Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was roasted in 2018 after claiming a Canucks 2-1 OT loss to the Kings was “almost like a playoff game.”

Last night he got his revenge. @fr_aquilini pic.twitter.com/cCVMFclQ30

– BarDown (@BarDown) April 22, 2024