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MONTREAL — The Canadiens will likely start their playoff series against the Boston Bruins without their injured captain.
Coach Guy Carbonneau has all but ruled out having Saku Koivu in the lineup for the series' opening game Thursday night in Montreal. Koivu broke a small bone in his left foot while blocking a shot during a game March 28 in Buffalo. The playmaking center didn't practice with the team this week.
"The progress is what it should have been," Carbonneau said. "Usually a bone needs two to three weeks. It's two weeks now. We still need to wait."
Defenseman Francis Bouillon is also expected to sit out with an ankle injury, while forward Michael Ryder is back from a sore knee and defenseman Mike Komisarek is likely to return from a hip injury.
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That means Kovalev, who took over as the team's scoring leader this season, will keep the captain's "C" he inherited when Koivu sat out the final four games of the regular season.
"One reason we were successful this year is that we avoided injuries," Kovalev said. "It definitely hurts not to have Saku in the lineup, but a lot of guys are hungry and want to take his place and hopefully they'll be as successful as he is. We'll see."
The Bruins also have decisions to make on center Patrice Bergeron, who has resumed skating after sitting out since Oct. 27 with a concussion. Scoring leader Marc Savard is expected back after missing seven games with a back injury.
With 100 games of playoff experience, Kovalev is second on the Canadiens to Bryan Smolinski's 111. Last season, he had only 19 goals and 47 points, but the 35-year-old Kovalev rebounded with the second-best season of his career — 35 goals and 84 points — to lead Montreal to first place in the conference for the first time in 15 years.
"I'm proud that we proved a lot of people wrong," he said. "Last year, we barely had a chance to make the playoffs and this year, we're in first place. Everybody responded this year from the start of training camp. The atmosphere was there all year — the hunger of people who want to show they belong on this team."
Kovalev had seven goals and 11 points against the Bruins as the Canadiens swept all eight regular-season meetings. Linemate Andrei Kostitsyn and power-play point man Mark Streit also had 11 points against Boston, while center Tomas Plekanec had 10.
But the Bruins are healthier than they've been all season and take heart from at least forcing the final meeting between them to a shootout.
"It's a new season and it will be completely different," Kovalev said. "Whatever we did during the season, we have to prepare twice as much now."
Carbonneau said Ryder, who had been skating on Koivu's line with Christopher Higgins and Sergei Kostitsyn, will dress after sitting out the last two regular-season games.
Komisarek, who has missed six games with a hip injury, practiced for a third straight day and appeared ready to return, although he still needs clearance from the team doctor.
"I feel pretty good — strong and confident," Komisarek said. "I'll give feedback to the doctor and then we'll make a decision from there."
Carbonneau expects to see Bergeron and Savard in the Bruins' lineup.
"I didn't expect Marc Savard to miss any playoff games," Carbonneau said. "And if Patrice is ready to go, it's good news for hockey. He's been an exciting player since he started playing. It's good news that he's healthy. You have to expect everything in the playoffs. I never count anybody out. It doesn't matter if they were in a wheelchair last week, there's a chance those guys will play."
