Latendresse

The physical presence and leadership of Mike Komisarek will be missed.
Len Redkoles, NHLI via Getty Images

Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek is sidelined for three weeks with a lower-body injury suffered against the Bruins in Boston on Thursday.

Forward Guillaume Latendresse also won't play tonight in the Bell Centre rematch against the Bruins, suffering from neck spasms. Look for Bryan Smolinski and Steve Bégin to be in uniform, and Mark Streit likely pushed back to defence.

"Mike has a lower body injury, that's all I can tell you, and he's going to out a minimum of three weeks," head coach Guy Carbonneau said of Komisarek after this morning's game-day skate. "We hope that after two weeks we can evaluate him and go day-to-day after that, but it's going to be in that vicinity."

This will put Komisarek out of commission for the balance of the regular season and possibly the start of the playoffs. He's been enjoying a breakout season as a physical presence and a leader of the Habs on and off the ice, through 75 games having scored four goals and 13 assists with a +9 ranking, usually paired with Andrei Markov on the blue line.

This morning's NHL statistics have Komisarek leading all NHL defencemen in categories of hits and blocked shots.

Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau announced today that Carey Price will start tomorrow vs. the Florida Panthers at the Bell Centre, getting the nod for his good work of late.

Cristobal Huet, who backed up Price Saturday vs. Toronto, will fill the same role tomorrow, and he isn't overjoyed with the idea, having been widely believed to be getting the start. But Carbonneau wants Huet to get another few days of practice before returning to action, having sat out the past six games with a groin injury.

Guillaume Latendresse practised at Verdun with his teammates, but will be a game-time decision, having suffered what's reported to have been an upper-body injury last Thursday in Philadelphia. Defenceman Patrice Brisebois practised as well, rehabbing a shoulder injury, but left early and won't be in the lineup.