Habs Weekend In Review In Two Words: Injured Reserve

The Montreal Canadiens managed to pull out a win Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings to snap a four-game losing streak.

Despite a 3-1 loss on Sunday, they played a satisfactory effort again the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins.

But the weekend was a nightmare for the Canadiens on the injury front.

Having just received Captain Saku Koivu, winger Christopher Higgins, and goalie Carey Price back from injury, the Canadiens may now have three more players out long term.

First up, Josh Gorges, who took a flagrant elbow from the Kings Denis Gauthier on Saturday afternoon. Gauthier will have a disciplinary hearing on Monday and likely face a minimum one-game suspension.

Gorges is listed day-to-day by the Canadiens but has likely suffered a concussion and will be out much longer if that is the case.

Sunday saw two players leave the ice and not return.

Centre Robert Lang seemed to have suffered an ankle injury, in the third period, after he appeared to get his skate caught in a rut. Lang leads the Canadiens in scoring this season.

He was taken to the hospital and reports now indicate that he may have had an errant skate slice his Achilles tendon.

If that is the case, he could be out for the season, and there is a possibility that his career could be over.

Later in the period, winger Guillaume Latendresse crashed shoulder first into the boards and had to be helped off the ice. Though declared officially as suffering an upper-body injury by the Canadiens, Latendresse could be out a month if the pattern of recent shoulder injuries on the team is any indication.

This will put a great deal of pressure for the Canadiens to have any chance to catch the conference leading Bruins, let alone maintain their current fourth place conference standing.

The Canadiens still have forwards Alex Tanguay, Georges Laraque, and foward-defenseman Mathieu Dandineault on the mend from injuries.