Paul Chiasson
If the Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens have one thing in common this season, it's that they have both survived despite injuries to their defence corps.
The Canadian-based NHL teams meet at Rogers Arena Tuesday, when the Canucks will welcome back Dan Hamhuis (concussion) and Keith Ballard (sprained knee ligaments) from the injured list. Vancouver still has three ailing defencemen who will miss the game, while Montreal is playing without three of its top four blue-liners.
"Things don't often happen like this, where guys are dropping like flies, but you just have to roll with the punches and understand that that's part of the game," said Candiens defenceman James Wisniewski, who was acquired from the New York Islanders in late-December to help patch the dam.
The Canadiens are without Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges, who are lost for the season after knee surgeries, and Jaroslav Spacek is in Montreal with a lower-body injury. A report out of Buffalo this weekend said Spacek will also be shutdown for the 2010-11 campaign, but Habs coach Jacques Martin said Monday that there was no change in the defenceman's status and that he will be re-evaluated next week.
In Vancouver, leading minuteman Alexander Edler is out with back surgery, while Kevin Bieksa and Lee Sweatt are shelved with a foot fractures.
"The team has played very good team defence," Canucks defenceman Sami Salo said when asked how Vancouver has managed its injuries. "Forwards have been helping out the defence...and that's what you need when you're missing key players. You need five guys to play really tight together."
Carey Price will start in goal for Montreal, while Roberto Luongo takes the crease for the Canucks. The Canadiens have won two straight against the Canucks, including a 2-0 victory on Nov. 9 at the Bell Centre, when Price made 34 saves.
Vancouver is expected to make three lineup changes.
Hamhuis and Ballard replace Evan Oberg and Yann Sauvé, who were sent down to the minors, while top prospect Cody Hodgson, recalled from the AHL's Manitoba Moose Monday, will centre the fourth line. Jeff Tambellini is expected to be a healthy scratch.