Goalkeeper Jake Allen was back on the ice for the first time since November 13, Monday morning, at the Bell Sports Complex.
Allen had been on the sidelines since being the victim of a fierce charge from Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The head coach of the Canadian Dominique Ducharme had confirmed a few days later that his goalkeeper had suffered a concussion.
It is not yet known whether he will be available for the Canadiens’ next game on Wednesday against the Capitals in Washington.
The Canadian had given a sign of his return to the game the day before by sending goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Laval Rocket, his American Hockey League school club. During his time with the Canadiens, Primeau went 0-2 with a 4.82 goals-against average and a save rate of just 87.7%.
In addition, defenseman Brett Kulak was absent from the training session in order to undergo treatment.
For his part, defenseman Joel Edmundson continued his fitness program by skating with his teammates on Monday morning. The veteran, however, wore a sweater prohibiting body checks. Edmundson has still not played a meeting with the Bleu-blanc-rouge this season, since he has been annoyed since the start of the camp by an injury whose nature has not been revealed.
For his part, forward Cédric Paquette skated for the first time since suffering another undisclosed injury. The Quebecer was injured in the second period of the November 9 game against the Los Angeles Kings and did not return to the game thereafter. He also wore a sweater prohibiting contact.
The Habs resumed training on Monday, two days after signing a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators at the Bell Center. The victory went to goaltender Samuel Montembeault – his first since joining the Canadiens, after being claimed on waivers from the Florida Panthers on October 2.
The Canadian will embark on a three-game trip starting Wednesday night, facing Alexander Ovechkin and his gang.