Verified and updated: November 15, 2026, 4:05 a.m. UTC (November 14, 11:05 p.m. EST in Montreal).
Montreal’s matchup with Colorado put a current roster question into focus: how much can the Canadiens absorb when a regular forward is unavailable? Chris Kreider was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury, and Florian Xhekaj took his place in the lineup for the November 14 game at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens had entered the game with a 12-3-4 record, but their depth would be judged by whether replacements could preserve the team’s balance, not simply fill a spot on the roster. NHL.com reported Kreider’s injury timeline; the team confirmed Xhekaj’s return and Jakub Dobes’ start in goal in its morning skate update.
Kreider’s injury created a clear vacancy in the forward group. Before the game, NHL.com reported he had nine points—three goals and six assists—in 19 games. His absence therefore removed an experienced scoring option as well as a regular body from the rotation. Montreal’s immediate response was to dress Xhekaj, who had been scratched in the previous two games. That is a concrete depth move, though a single lineup change cannot by itself establish whether the team has enough scoring and two-way coverage for a long stretch.
The timing also matters. Montreal had just beaten Boston 5-2, and the Avalanche arrived after a 4-3 overtime loss in Ottawa. Colorado’s own lineup was missing two major contributors: the NHL’s projected-lineup report said MacKinnon would be out at least a month and Makar approximately two weeks. That made this a test of both clubs’ reserves, rather than a clean comparison of their full-strength rosters. The NHL’s projected lineup and status report listed those absences and Montreal’s possible defensive adjustment.
Xhekaj’s inclusion offers Montreal a direct replacement option, while the status of defenceman Mike Matheson raised a separate question about defensive depth. Matheson had returned against Boston after missing six games with a lower-body injury and was considered a game-time decision for Colorado. NHL.com said Adam Engstrom would play if Matheson could not. In goal, Montreal named Jakub Dobes as the starter, with Jacob Fowler also listed among the projected options.
These details show why depth is more than a list of available names. Coaches need replacements who can take shifts without forcing larger changes to line combinations, defensive pairings or special teams. A forward’s replacement may need to handle forechecking and defensive-zone work as well as produce offence. A defender stepping in may need to manage breakouts and penalty-kill minutes. The public lineup information confirms who was available and expected to play; it does not establish how well each replacement performed over the full game.
The Avalanche entered the game at 11-6-3, according to the NHL preview, and had recently shown they could generate offence through several lines. Artturi Lehkonen, a former Canadien, had scored in Ottawa and was listed among the NHL’s top goal scorers in Colorado’s game preview. The same report noted Colorado’s penalty kill had operated at 86.4 per cent since November 1, while its power play was at 30.4 per cent for the month. Those team figures framed a difficult opponent for Montreal’s replacement players: Colorado could pressure the defence at even strength and make special-teams execution important.
That context makes the matchup a useful measuring point, but not a verdict on Montreal’s season-long depth. Injuries fluctuate, and one opponent’s absences change the challenge. The more meaningful signal will come over the coming weeks: whether Montreal can keep its lines functional, avoid overloading core players and get useful minutes from call-ups or reserves while Kreider recovers.
Track the team’s announced line combinations, Matheson’s availability and how Xhekaj’s role develops. Also watch whether Montreal’s production stays spread across its lineup rather than depending heavily on its top unit. The Canadiens’ 5-2 win over Boston showed contributions from multiple forwards, but maintaining that balance is the challenge across a longer injury absence.
The club’s next scheduled meeting with Colorado is November 25 in Denver, according to the teams’ pre-game materials. That rematch could offer another comparison, though rosters and injury status may change before then. The available official sources reviewed for this update were pre-game lineup and injury reports; they did not include an official post-game recap at the time checked, so this article does not claim a final score or post-game performance findings.
The Canadiens announced a six-to-eight-week absence because of a lower-body injury.
Florian Xhekaj returned to Montreal’s lineup for the Colorado game.
The teams’ next regular-season meeting was scheduled for November 25 in Colorado.
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