The Montreal Canadiens are set to hit the ice with one of their top players back in action. Nick Suzuki has been dealing with an upper-body injury and has not played since October 20. The issue forced the center’s ironman streak to end at 546 games. It was the second-longest streak in the NHL, only behind Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns.
NHL beat writer Renaud Lavoie has revealed that Suzuki will play against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, November 5. The reporter also claimed that the star took part in an extra practice session to get ready for the game. Respected journalist Marco D’Amico also confirmed the positive news on the star center.
Without Suzuki, the Montreal Canadiens have actually played fairly well. In fact, the team has collected five wins in their last six matchups. Their lone defeat was a demoralizing 5-4 loss in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on November 3. Despite being down a key forward, Montreal’s offense has managed to remain hot. The Canadiens scored 22 goals in these six games without their top center.
Along with revealing Suzuki’s return to the lineup, Lavoie also reports that Jakub Dobes and Kirby Dach will also start against the Mammoth. Dobes has essentially lost his starting goalie job to Jacob Fowler. Both players have not played for Montreal since October 29, when they helped lead the Canadiens to a 5-2 victory against the Dallas Stars.
Montreal Canadiens Eager to Get Nick Suzuki Back Into Lineup
While the Montreal Canadiens have been successful without Suzuki, the star center will certainly boost his team’s lineup. Despite missing six games, the forward still has the third-most points for Montreal this season. He previously signed a team-friendly eight-year, $63 million contract ($7.87 million AAV) to stay with the club until at least 2030.
Along with scoring, the Canadiens will also benefit from Suzuki’s success in faceoffs. He has won nearly 54% of his faceoffs on the current campaign, a total that would be his career high for a season.
The Dobes and Dach news, however, may not excite Montreal Canadiens fans as much. Dobes’ return makes sense, as most NHL teams regularly rotate their goalies throughout the season. Dach, however, has underperformed this season, while Owen Beck has played well since being called up. Beck has three points in five games with Montreal on the campaign. With Dach returning to the lineup, Beck will be forced out.
Montreal set to Shuffle Forward Lines
With Suzuki back in the lineup, the Montreal Canadiens will shuffle their forward groups. Knowing the center was set to return soon, The Athletic’s Arpun Basu recently discussed how head coach Martin St. Louis will do this. According to the reporter, the team’s top center should once again team up with wingers Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský.
Dach, however, is expected to be deployed on the fourth line alongside Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen. Ivan Demidov’s pending return will once again force some changes to the Canadiens lineup. The Russian’s agent recently revealed that the star suffered a fractured ankle in preseason and will remain out of action for a “few more weeks or so.”
Canadiens Trio, Including $63 Million Star, to Play Against Mammoth