MONTREAL – The Canadiens held a morning skate ahead of Tuesday’s rubber match against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre.
The team confirmed that forward Christian Dvorak will return to the lineup tonight. The Palos, IL native has been out since Dec. 30 with a torn pectoral muscle.
“I thought there was potential [for a return] but I wouldn’t say for sure. I knew it would be close, and I kind of set a goal for myself to try to make it back,” Dvorak said after practice. “I just tried to rehab as hard as I could and luckily it worked out.”
Prior to practice, the Canadiens announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending surgery to his left shoulder on Wednesday. The 23-ye ar-old is expected to be ready for the 2024-25 season.
Eighteen players dressed for the pregame skate: