Josh Anderson was back on the ice with his Montreal Canadiens teammates this morning after missing Saturday’s game in Toronto for personal reasons.
Montreal had to make do without him against the Maple Leafs, which opened a spot for Owen Beck in the lineup. The Canadiens still came away with a 4-2 win.
Anderson is still listed as day-to-day, and there’s no certainty yet about whether he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game. The reason for his absence hasn’t been shared, and head coach Martin St. Louis made it clear that family takes priority over hockey.
Seeing Anderson back at practice two days later is a positive sign for Montreal, even if his return to game action remains up in the air.
What he brings to the Canadiens is hard to miss. Anderson has scored 7 goals in 16 games this season, a strong pace for a player with 167 goals in 704 career NHL games. His +8 rating also stands out, especially when compared with his career -32 mark.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he gives Montreal size, speed and a physical element the team clearly values. Opponents know it, too. According to Marc Denis, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn once warned rookie Trey Taylor against challenging Anderson.
That kind of reputation travels fast around the league.
The Canadiens are also in a good place without him, having gone 8-0-2 over their last 10 games. Saturday’s win in Toronto showed again that the group can keep rolling even when regulars are out.
Still, Anderson gives St. Louis another proven option when Montreal needs energy and a heavier presence along the boards. The Minnesota Wild are set to visit the Bell Centre tomorrow, but Anderson’s status is still uncertain.
In Other News...
Canadiens Sent A Clear Message As Tension Rose Behind Closed Doors
A closed-door meeting after the loss to Winnipeg set the tone for what followed at Canadiens practice, where the focus shifted quickly from frustration to accountability. The next session had the feel of a team trying to reset in a hurry, with Cole Caufield among the players putting in extra work in a rebound-control drill as Montreal looked to clean up the details that had been costing it.
The response showed up in the standings, too, as Montreal came back to beat Toronto in its next game and give its season a better feel in the crowded NHL picture. For a group that had just been dealing with tension behind closed doors, the sequence was a reminder that sometimes the message lands best when it is followed by a sharper practice and a win that lets everyone breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Goalie Decision They Cant Ignore
The Canadiens have quietly reached a point where their goaltending picture can no longer be treated like a background issue. Rookie Jacob Fowler has handled road starts with poise, and Jakub Dobes has also been in the mix away from home, giving Montreal a pair of young options to weigh as the schedule keeps moving. For a team trying to sort out its long-term crease while staying competitive now, the next few games could matter more than usual.
Martin St-Louis may soon have to decide how to distribute the starts among Fowler, Dobes and Samuel Montembeault, whose status adds another layer to the discussion. Montreal does not need to settle the entire future of its netminding situation this week, but it does need a plan, and the way it handles this stretch could say plenty about which goalie is earning more trust as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Arber Xhekaj Just Added Real Edge To Canadiens-Leafs Again
Arber Xhekaj did what he has a habit of doing against the Maple Leafs: he turned a routine game into something with a little more bite. The Canadiens defenseman was left frustrated by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Montreals latest meeting with Toronto, and he made it clear afterward that he believed officials may have gotten the call wrong. Martin St-Louis also took issue with the ruling, adding another layer to a sequence that already had the feel of a familiar Canadiens-Leafs flashpoint.
What bothered Xhekaj even more was what happened to Kirby Dach during the same sequence, when the play escalated into a two-on-one situation. For Montreal, it was another reminder of how quickly these games can tilt from competitive to combustible, especially when Xhekaj is involved and the Canadiens feel they have a reason to push back. The result is an unresolved little subplot that could easily carry into the next time these teams see each other. [Read more 🡒]