TSN is reporting that Montreal Canadiens winger Andrei Kostitsyn left practice for the second straight day and is unlikely to play this evening against Edmonton.
It’s a fairly big blow for a team already ravaged by injury. Scott Gomez, Andrei Markov, Ryan White and Chris Campoli are all on IR and with such a depleted lineup, head coach Jacques Martin is forced to go with defenseman Yannick Weber up front tonight. (Weber will reportedly play on the third line with Travis Moen and Lars Eller -- you know you’re lacking forward depth when a defenseman becomes your third-line winger.)
Equally troubling for the Habs is that Kostitsyn was carrying the mail offensively as of late, registering six points in his last seven games (he also leads the team in game-winning goals.) Given the lacklustre production from the likes of Erik Cole and PK Subban, the Habs simply can’t afford to lose AK46’s offense.