Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki out 2 to 4 weeks

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki will miss two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Thursday, ending his ironman streak at 546 consecutive regular-season games. The Canadiens play in Chicago on Friday night without their top-line centre, The Canadian Press reported.

Suzuki, 27, had played every regular-season game since joining Montreal in 2019-20. The Canadian Press said the streak was the second-longest active run in the NHL, behind Colorado defenceman Brent Burns at 1,017, and the 20th-longest in league history. NHL.com and TSN also reported the two-to-four-week timeline.

He was hurt in Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks, when a shot from defenceman Michael Kesselring struck his left hand with just over five minutes left in the third period. Suzuki finished the game, scoring a goal and adding an assist in just over 21 minutes, but did not speak to reporters afterward because he was receiving treatment, according to the team.

Suzuki had 101 points last season. He has five goals and 12 points in nine games this season and is tied for second on the team in goals.

“It’s a huge loss. Nobody can really fill Suzy’s shoes,” winger Cole Caufield said after Thursday’s practice, The Canadian Press reported. “Everybody has to step up.”

Oliver Kapanen centred Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky on the top line at practice. The Canadiens also recalled forward Owen Beck from the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, a day after sending him down. Beck scored in Laval’s 5-1 win over the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday.

The injury adds to a growing list for Montreal. Forward Ivan Demidov, 20, has been out with a lower-body injury since early October. The Canadiens are 4-3-2.

Elsewhere in Canada on Thursday, the Maple Leafs edged the Rangers 5-4 and the Sharks beat the Senators 6-2.

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Sources: The Canadian Press; NHL.com; TSN.