Look for the Montreal Canadiens to get even more active in trade talks for a forward now that second-leading scorer Robert Lang, easily the team’s best player this season, appears done for the season after suffering a slashed tendon in his foot Sunday vs. the Bruins.
Lang has been a brilliant pickup for the team, a hard-working, versatile, talented veteran who, with his 18th goal Sunday, became the team’s leading goal scorer. He was named the team’s Player of the Month for January after recording recorded 13 points (6 goals and 7 assists) in as many games in January. He registered a hat trick in a 6-3 win over the Rangers on January 7 at Madison Square Garden. During the month, the Czech Republic native also netted three power-play goals and added one short-handed marker.
This is a huge loss for a team very thin at center. It came in the same game that center Alex Kovalev was benched for nearly the entire third period against Boston. Kovalev, the All-Star Game MVP, has just seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last 14 games, his personal slide coinciding with Montreal’s — the Habs have lost five of their last six contests to drop 18 point off the pace of the Northeast Division-leading Bruins.
Carbonneau said the Russian has to step up his game if Montreal has any hope of catching Boston.
“We’re trying to get out of a situation that is not easy, and until we get 20 guys playing, it’ll be tough,” Carbonneau told reporters before adding that he plans to speak to Kovalev regarding his recent troubles. “Alex is a professional. He’s not a rookie. Right now, he’s struggling, but we need him [if we're going to] go far.”
Boston has now won four straight contests against Montreal after dropping 12 regular-season games in a row to the Habs, who are next in action Tuesday against Pittsburgh – bet on the game at WagerWeb.com.
The bad news doesn’t stop there. Habs left wing Gillaume Latendresse had to be helped from the ice at 17:28 of the third Sunday after he crashed into the end boards. The official word from the Canadiens is an upper-body injury. He could miss at least a month.
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