Markov, Schneider Ailing; Habs Recall Janik
POSTED: 1:05 pm EDT April 6,
2009
Montreal, QC -- (Sports Network) - The Montreal Canadiens will be without defensemen Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider for Monday's game against Ottawa.Markov and Schneider both suffered upper body injuries during Saturday's game against Toronto. Both players missed Monday's morning skate and could also be sidelined for Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers. "Neither one of them are available to play tonight," Canadiens coach and general manager Bob Gainey said Monday. "Those are our number one and two blue line players on our power play. They're both experienced players. I don't know how I can to tell you we won't miss them, but we're going to move on."
Gainey said he was unsure about how long the two would be sidelined. Markov is Montreal's leading scorer with 64 points, having notched 12 goals with a team-best 52 assists while appearing in all 78 games thus far. Schneider, acquired from Atlanta on February 16, has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 21 games with Montreal. The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Doug Janik from their AHL affiliate in Hamilton. Janik, acquired from Dallas on February 26, had five points in 17 games with Hamilton after the trade. "We picked up Doug Janik with this in mind, that we might have this situation," Gainey added. Before the deal, Janik appeared in 13 games with the Stars this season and notched one assist with two penalty minutes. In 159 career NHL games with Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Dallas, Janik has three goals and 13 assists with 121 penalty minutes. Gainey also indicated that Jaroslav Halak would be in goal for Monday's game. Carey Price, normally the starter, remains the backup as he continues to recover from the flu. Halak has played the past two games, both victories, as Montreal continues to battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Copyright 2009 Courtesy of The Sports Network.







