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A healthy Montreal defense corps will save Jacques Martin

Vancouver Canucks v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL- NOVEMBER 9: Andrei Markov #79 of the Montreal Canadiens waits for a faceoff during the NHL game Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre on November 9, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Canucks 2-0. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

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While the Habs are floundering to start the year and the cries for coach Jacques Martin to suffer for those shortcomings grow louder by the day, help is coming for the ailing Canadiens. While Montreal has been dealing with injuries to three of their starting defensemen, they’ll be getting some major reinforcements back this week starting tonight.

RDS’ Renaud Lavoie reports that Jaroslav Spacek will be back in the lineup tonight against Florida meaning Alexei Emelin gets a seat in the press box. Emelin is one of three mostly inexperienced blue liners that have been pressed into action due to injury. With Yannick Weber and Rafael Diaz also in the lineup, they’d both better play their tails off tonight because one of them may be coming out of the lineup later in the week.

Long injured alternate captain Andrei Markov is also slated to return to action later in the week and for Montreal, he’s the rock on the blue line they need to settle things down. Markov’s two-way play on defense makes him one of their most valuable players when he’s healthy. Of course staying healthy has been his major issue the last two seasons.

If Markov can come back and play the way he used to, Montreal’s issues in stopping opponents from generating quality chances may come to an end. If Markov and Spacek can contribute like normal, the Canadiens’ woes may soon be at an end and Jacques Martin can get the ship righted.