For a few moments Thursday, Jayden Struble didn’t understand what was happening to him. Fortunately for him, he quickly understood that his problems were ultimately less serious than he had feared.
After having to skip Saturday’s game in New Jersey, Struble was on the ice Monday during the Montreal Canadiens’ training session at the CN Sports Complex.
In the locker room, after training, he returned to the incident of last Thursday and he seemed relieved.
“At first I didn’t really know what it was and what was happening, and I was pretty nervous. As you saw, I couldn’t move parts of my body. It was strange,” he first told journalists.
“Quickly in the trainer’s room, I understood that it wasn’t something too serious. It gets better day by day. I’m not really worried,” Struble added.
The defenseman clarified that his injury was not related to contact on the ice.
“It happened in the moment. I tried to accelerate and I think I felt a pinch,” he explained before confirming that it was his back that had been hit.
This return to the ice tends to indicate that Struble will find his place on the Habs blue line very soon. Maybe as early as Tuesday, when the Arizona Coyotes visit.
Struble, however, was not able to confirm this, nor was Martin St-Louis.
Furthermore, the Canadian head coach could not say if Jake Evans will be there on Tuesday. The Habs forward underwent another day of treatment, a second in a row.
St-Louis also announced that Samuel Montembeault will defend the Habs cage against a team which presents itself in Montreal at the heart of a streak of failure even longer than that of the Habs.
André Tourigny’s men have lost their last 12 games (0-10-2) and have not won since January 22, against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
For his part, the Canadian will be looking for a first victory since his 5-0 shutout win against the Anaheim Ducks on February 13. The Montreal team has lost its last five meetings.