The Canadiens took a cautious approach Wednesday, but the timing still raised eyebrows. Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans were both out of practice, leaving Martin St-Louis with two notable question marks before Thursday’s game in Boston.
Montreal said both forwards were given maintenance days after Tuesday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. The absences weren’t a shock, but they do add some uncertainty heading into a road matchup with the Bruins.
Suzuki’s night against Minnesota already hinted at a problem. He briefly exited in the third period before coming back and scoring Montreal’s only goal. He finished with three shots and more than 18 minutes of ice time.
Evans had been dealing with his own issue even before puck drop Tuesday. He left practice in Brossard on Monday and did not return, then was listed as a game-time decision against the Wild before playing just over 15 minutes.
Both players pushed through discomfort on Tuesday, and the Canadiens are now giving them a chance to recover.
Montreal confirmed the two absences Wednesday morning, but did not provide any further detail on either player’s status. The team’s note was brief: "Forwards Jake Evans and Nick Suzuki (therapy day) will not participate in today’s practice."
Of the two, Suzuki is the bigger concern. The captain has 16 points in 12 games, including 7 goals, and his +10 rating shows how much he has driven Montreal’s early success. If he can’t play, the Canadiens would be missing a major piece of their top six.
Evans fills a different role, but it’s an important one. He has six points in 18 games, including a shorthanded goal, and he’s relied on as a defensive center who takes tough assignments and logs key penalty-kill minutes.
If Evans is unavailable Thursday, Florian Xhekaj could be in line to draw in. He was already viewed as a possibility Tuesday, though St-Louis has not confirmed any lineup changes.
A maintenance day doesn’t necessarily mean either player will miss the next game, but losing both centers at practice does create some unease before a tough one in Boston.
The Canadiens have earned some breathing room with their strong start, which gives them the option to be careful rather than force players through nagging issues. Their road work has helped too, with a 6-1-1 record away from the Bell Centre.
Still, that kind of consistency will be tested if Suzuki or Evans can’t go. Thursday’s lineup will tell the story.
In Other News...
Cole Caufield Just Sparked A Bigger Canadiens Debate Than The Loss
Cole Caufield turned a frustrating night into a larger conversation for the Canadiens after Montreals overtime loss to Minnesota, shifting the focus from the result to how NHL games are being officiated. The forward took aim at the way referees handle controversial calls, adding another layer to a game that already left the Canadiens with plenty to sort through.
What made his comments resonate was the broader point behind them: Caufield wants more accountability from officials and believes they should be able to explain what they saw instead of simply signaling a penalty and moving on. For a Canadiens team still chasing consistency, it is the kind of postgame critique that can linger well beyond one loss, especially when it taps into a league-wide debate about transparency on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Scare Had Canadiens Fans Holding Their Breath
Nick Suzuki gave Canadiens fans a scare in the third period, leaving the game briefly before returning to the ice and settling things down in a hurry. Montreals captain has been a central part of the clubs offense all season, appearing in 12 of the teams 18 games and continuing to drive play at the top of the lineup.
The good news for Montreal is that the concern did not linger long after the final whistle, with the team indicating Suzuki is fine after his short absence. Even so, any moment like that tends to tighten the mood around a team that leans so heavily on its top center, especially when he has been one of the most important contributors to the Canadiens attack. [Read more 🡒]
Carey Prices Canadiens Comment Says Everything About His Loyalty
Carey Price was asked a simple what-if about the current Canadiens offense, and he handled it exactly the way Montreal fans have come to expect. Rather than turn it into a comparison with the teams he played behind, Price stayed respectful, praised the clubs attack and made it clear he wasnt interested in taking shots at the past.
The former goaltender did acknowledge that the teams he knew were built in a much more defensive mold, which only sharpened the contrast with todays group. Coming off a loss to the Minnesota Wild and heading into a meeting with the Bruins, the Canadiens are still trying to steady themselves, but Prices comments fit the mood around the room: this is a team that believes it has a real chance, and one that still has plenty of people in its corner. [Read more 🡒]