Montreal can clinch first in the Atlantic with a win over Florida tonight, but won’t have Shea Weber to help the cause.
Weber has been sent home from the club’s current three-game road trip to have his lower-body injury evaluated, the club announced on Monday. The veteran blueliner played 22:46 in Saturday’s 2-1 OT win in Tampa Bay, but will now miss his first action of the year.
Needless to say, it’s a massive hole to fill. Weber is tied for second among NHL defensemen with 17 goals, and sits third on the team in scoring (42 points). He also averages a club-high 25:04 TOI per night.
As mentioned, Montreal is in action tonight, then again on Wednesday in Buffalo. From there, the Habs have two games remaining: Friday, Apr. 7 versus Tampa Bay, then a road date in Detroit to close things out on Apr. 8.
Per Sportsnet, Weber’s injury isn’t believed to be of the long-term variety. Today’s move could be purely precautionary, as the Habs will almost certainly lock up top spot in the division.
