The Canadiens confirmed that Gallagher suffered a concussion on Tuesday and will be out indefinitely. This is obviously a huge blow for Montreal, who lost part of their dominant top-line. Gallagher is second on the team in goals (15) and points (32) in 40 games this season.
Texier is out indefinitely with a lumbar stress fracture that he suffered in Tuesday's win over the Panthers. The Blue Jackets' injury woes continue with Texier expected to miss an extended period of time. Justin Scott was called up from Cleveland (AHL) to replace Texier.
Gallagher suffered an upper-body injury that is likely a concussion in the second period of Tuesday's loss to the Hurricanes. Gallagher was hit in open-ice but was hurt when Ben Chiarot inadvertently kneed him in the head on his way to the ice. Dale Weise was called up from the AHL on Wednesday, suggesting that Gallagher will not be available Thursday vs. Tampa Bay.
Anderson suffered a shoulder injury in Ottawa on Saturday and is expected to miss at least one month. Anderson has had a terribly difficult season, scoring just one goal on 63 shots (1.6 SH%) with three assists (four points) in 26 games.
Dobson played in the last three games with Nick Leddy out with a lower-body injury but is expected to come out of the lineup vs. the Predators. Dobson failed to register a point in those three games, giving him just two assists in 10 games this season.
Kahkonen's first taste of the NHL went pretty well. He went 3-1-1 with a 2.96 GAA and .916 SV% but his return to the AHL suggests that Devan Dubnyk could be available on Tuesday. Kahkonen has gone 7-2-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .909 SV% in the AHL this year.
Anderson was hurt Saturday in Ottawa, presumably in a fight with Mark Borowiecki. Kevin Stenlund was recalled on emergency basis on Sunday and is expected to replace Anderson both at even-strength and on the power-play.
Byron appeared to be close to returning to the lineup when he was a full participant in Friday's practice, but he'll remain in Montreal while the team travels to Western Canada next week. Ryan Poehling will remain in Montreal's lineup with Byron out.
Matheson was a surprising healthy scratch on Thursday but head coach Joel Quenneville said that he'll be back in the lineup vs. the Bruins. After posting back-to-back 27-point seasons, Matheson is on pace for just nine points in 2019-20.
Matheson has had a tough season so far, scoring just one goal with two assists in 25 games. Matheson played just 13:41 TOI on Tuesday and will be scratched in favour of Mark Pysyk on Thursday night. Coach Quenneville called it “not an easy thing to do," especially when you consider that Matheson has seven years left on a deal that carries a $4.875M AAV cap-hit.
Kahkonen allowed two goals on 33 shots in the Wild's shootout loss to the Ducks on Tuesday. Kahkonen has been simply spectacular since coming up from the AHL, going 2-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .947 SV% in his first three career starts. It's never easy to face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but you can do worse than Kahkonen on Thursday night.
Kahkonen allowed two goals on 46 shots in the Wild's win in Florida last Tuesday. It was a terrific performance from the rookie, who has started his NHL career at 2-0 while stopping 76 of the 80 shots (.950 SV%) that he has faced so far. Tonight he faces a struggling Anaheim team that has lost 12 of their last 15 (3-8-4) games while scoring 2.53 goals per game.
Dobson has been a healthy scratch for the last five games but will replace Nick Leddy, who is out with a lower-body injury. Dobson will skate with Johnny Boychuk and is expected to see some power-play time on a unit with Mathew Barzal and co.
Kahkonen stopped 32 of 34 shots in the Wild's win in New Jersey in his NHL debut last Tuesday. The 23-year-old was 7-2-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .909 SV% when he was called-up, so he should continue to be a decent option while Devan Dubnyk is out. With that said, the Panthers have won four of their last five home games while scoring 3.80 goals per game, so it's not a great matchup for career start No.2.
Montembeault has struggled as the Panthers' backup this season, posting a 3.31 GAA and .889 SV% in five appearances. Florida sent him to the AHL to try and find his game and recalled Chris Driedger, who has an impressive .938 SV% in the AHL this year.
