The Canadiens announced that Chris Kreider will miss 6 to 8 weeks with a lower-body injury, and the Bruins forward involved in the collision is in the lineup tonight.
That forward is Michael Eyssimont. Kreider was hurt Thursday in Boston, and the Bruins face the Minnesota Wild at TD Garden tonight.
Gino Hard relayed the Canadiens' announcement, adding that Kreider went down after Eyssimont fell and slid into his legs.
LNH Fr, writing in French, also reported that Kreider suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's game against the Bruins.
We covered the Kreider scare in the third period as it unfolded, when he went to the Canadiens dressing room. Now the timeline is on paper.
For Montreal, losing a 35-year-old left winger who had 3 goals and 6 assists in 19 games is a real hit. Kreider also carried a +4 rating, so he was giving the Canadiens more than the occasional goal.
For Boston, the story is a different kind of awkward. Eyssimont has played only 2 games this season, with 1 goal, and that goal was a game-winner.
Where Eyssimont fits in the Bruins lineup tonight
Eyssimont skates on a line with Fraser Minten and Morgan Geekie against the Wild, a spot he first landed in Wednesday practice. That is a quality seat for a player with that little NHL time this season.
Minten has 6 goals and 12 points in 19 games, and Geekie has 14 points. Playing between them gives Eyssimont a real chance to build on the one goal he has.
His AHL numbers back up the opportunity. In 8 games with Providence-level production, 13 goals and 16 points, he sits fifth in AHL scoring, and he has the NHL résumé to go with it, including a 25-point season.
Nothing in the posts says anything about intent or a reaction from either side, and the play is simply part of Eyssimont's story now. The Bruins carry a 13-5-1 record into a game against a Wild team that is 2nd in the NHL, with Boston coming off a 5-2 loss to Montreal.
Eyssimont gets the Wild tonight. Kreider's 6 to 8 week clock starts now.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should Eyssimont keep his spot next to Minten and Geekie after tonight?
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