New development in Josh Anderson's personal leave situation emerges
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Josh Anderson is back at Canadiens practice after sitting out Saturday's win in Toronto for personal reasons. Whether he plays Tuesday is still open.
Josh Anderson is back on the ice with the Montreal Canadiens.
The forward took part in practice on Monday after missing Saturday's game in Toronto for personal reasons, an absence head coach Martin St-Louis confirmed before puck drop.
Montreal did not miss a beat without him.
Owen Beck drew into the lineup, and the Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 at Scotiabank Arena, with Alex Newhook scoring twice in the first period and Jacob Fowler stopping 26 shots.
The Canadiens entered that game at 10-3-3, so the win moved them to 11-3-3.
A practice skate is not a lineup spot
Seeing Anderson back with his teammates is the encouraging part.
It does not guarantee he plays Tuesday, when the Minnesota Wild visit Montreal.
The team has not announced its lineup, so St-Louis has a real decision.
Anderson brings size, a heavy forecheck and a willingness to go to the net, traits that rarely jump out of a box score but matter over a long season.
Nobody outside the organization knows the nature of the personal matter, and guessing would be wrong.
The confirmed facts are the absence, the return to practice and the lineup change that followed.
What to watch before Tuesday's game
Line combinations at the next skate will offer the first real hint.
If Anderson works alongside the regular forwards, a return looks likely.
If the group matches Toronto, expect St-Louis to stay cautious with a lineup that just won.
Watch the morning skate and the official lineup, since practice participation alone is not confirmation.
Beck's situation is worth tracking too.
He got in because of an absence, and depth players in that spot keep a place only if the coach likes what he sees.
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