Chris Kreider’s night ended in unsettling fashion Thursday, and the Canadiens are now waiting to learn how bad it might be.
Late in the third period against the Boston Bruins, Kreider was hurt after an awkward collision with Bruins forward Michael Eyssimont in the neutral zone. Eyssimont lost his balance and caught Kreider around the knee. The contact looked accidental, but the reaction from Kreider said plenty.
He headed off the ice in obvious pain, struggled to get up, and appeared unable to put weight on one of his legs before making his way to the locker room. The play had the look of a knee-on-knee collision, and the footage quickly spread across social media as Canadiens fans reacted with frustration and concern.
For Montreal, the timing is far from ideal. The Canadiens came away with the win and improved to 12-3-4, but they now have to wait for an update on a player who has been a useful piece early in the season.
Kreider has nine points in 18 games, with three goals and a game-winning tally among them. At 35, he also brings a long track record of durability and physical play, which made the way he left the ice stand out even more.
There’s still no word on how serious the injury is. Montreal will need to evaluate him before anything clearer comes into focus.
The Canadiens have been rolling through a busy stretch already, opening the week with a 4-2 win in Toronto before dropping a 2-1 overtime game to Minnesota on Tuesday. They’re back home Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, and Kreider’s status for that one is now up in the air.
Reporter Karine Hains captured the concern surrounding the incident:
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