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Why Mike Matheson's absence is a painful loss for the Canadiens
On Tuesday, the Canadiens quickly realized how costly Mike Matheson's absence was at the Bell Centre.
Without their number 8, Montreal fell 4-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers, dropping to 17-12-4, with 38 points in 33 games.
Martin St-Louis spoke of a "dominant" Hutson, especially when the Canadiens had to kill penalties. Hutson logged heavy minutes, finishing with 27:06 of ice time and a -2 rating.
"I know he's capable of killing penalties. We try to manage ice time. But when Mike isn't there, it takes contributions from other players, and we know Lane is capable," said St-Louis.
The problem is that Matheson does not just play a lot, he plays everywhere. At 31 years old, he leads Montreal with an average of 24:54 of ice time and has 16 points in 32 games. He logs the heaviest minutes on the Canadiens' blue line and is used heavily in all situations, especially on the penalty kill.
Mike Matheson's Status Uncertain Ahead of Matchup With Blackhawks
At the moment, he is sidelined with an upper-body injury, and his status is evaluated day to day.
That leaves the door open for Tonight's game when the Chicago Blackhawks come to the Bell Centre. However, the Canadiens will probably wait until the last minute before deciding, out of caution.
"It's a big loss, especially with the way [Matheson] plays and the minutes he logs on the ice. "I think our defensemen did an excellent job. But I hope we see Mike back soon."
- Nick Suzuki on Mike Matheson's absence
- Nick Suzuki on Mike Matheson's absence
Even if Matheson misses one or two more games before Christmas, the holiday break couldn't come at a better time for him to recover.
The Canadiens can survive for a night or so without him, but going long without nearly 25 minutes from their top defenseman is another story. If his return is confirmed against Chicago, the Bell Centre will likely let out a big sigh of relief.