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Montreal Canadiens

Habs Report: Drouin Out Indefinitely; Gallagher At Least A Week

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Montreal Canadiens

If only there were some sort of repellant for the injury bug because it seemingly has loved to and continues to feast on the Montreal Canadiens this season.

On Thursday morning, Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin was forced to go home prior to the game-day skate due to ‘close exposure’ with someone who had tested positive for COVID. On Friday, the Canadiens announced that Drouin has been placed on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.

Jonathan Drouin had just returned to game-action last Saturday after sitting out with a wrist injury for two months. He didn’t register a point in his last two games and has six goals and 14 assists in 34 games this season.

With Drouin out of the lineup, Tyler Pitlick drew into the lineup and made his Montreal Canadiens debut on Thursday in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers. Since being acquired in the trade that sent winger Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames on Valentine’s Day, Pitlick had not been able to play for the Habs due to an upper-body injury he suffered while playing with the Flames in mid-January. His last NHL game prior to Thursday night was on Jan. 13. Skating on the grind line with Laurent Dauphin and Michael Pezzetta Thursday, Pitlick had no points, two shots and two hits in 11 shifts for 7:08 TOI.

The Montreal Canadiens also announced that winger Brendan Gallagher will be out at least another week with a lower-body injury.

Gallagher was injured in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on St. Patrick’s Day and has missed the last three games. The 29-year-old winger has five goals and nine assists in 43 games.