The Canadiens have been hit hard by injuries this season, with forwards Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Patrik Laine all out long-term, along with defenceman Kaiden Guhle.
They have also been getting inconsistent goaltending from Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes.
As a result, the Canadiens have lost six of their last seven games (1-3-3).
With all that in mind, can this team make the NHL playoffs?
That’s the main question answered on this week’s Hockey Inside/Out Show, as The Gazette’s Stu Cowan is joined by former Canadiens teammates and 1986 Stanley Cup champions Chris Nilan and Rick Green.
The panel also talks about the Canadiens ranking 29th in the NHL in shots on goal, a power play that is 0-for-17 over the last six games, Zachary Bolduc having only one goal in his last 16 games after scoring three goals in his first three games, and Joe Veleno having zero points and a minus-7 differential in 14 games.
Is it time to call up Florian Xhekaj from the AHL’s Laval Rocket?
Nilan also talks about Jayden Struble’s decision to drop the gloves and fight 6-foot-7, 255-pound Boston Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov, giving up seven inches and 48 pounds.
Look for our three bonus episodes coming up during the next few days and if you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the Hockey Inside/Out YouTube channel. The Hockey Inside/Out Show is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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