The Montreal Canadiens have announced forward Max Pacioretty and defenceman Victor Mete will miss several weeks as they recover from injuries.
Both players were injured Friday in Montreal’s 6-3 road win over the New York Islanders.
Pacioretty, the Canadiens’ captain, suffered a knee injury and is expected to miss four to six weeks, while Mete suffered a fractured finger and is expected to be out for six weeks.
The injuries will likely end whatever dim post-season chances the Canadiens were clinging to.
Heading into Tuesday’s games, Montreal (25-29-11) was 10 points behind Columbus for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
WATCH ABOVE: Hockey analyst Brian Wilde joins senior anchor Jamie Orchard to talk about what the future holds for the team and what needs to change as the Habs continue on a downward slide.
Pacioretty has seen his production drop this season. He has 17 goals and 20 assists in 64 games with a defensive rating of minus-16.
The left-winger had been one of the leagues most consistent scorers, reaching the 30-goal mark in five of the past six seasons.
He had 15 goals in 44 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Mete, a mobile rookie defenceman who earned a spot on the team in training camp, has seven assists and a plus-5 rating in 49 games.
He also helped Canada win gold at the 2018 world junior hockey championship.