Northeast Division: Montreal will have to make due without Markov

Markov

The news couldn’t have been worse for the Montreal Canadiens today, despite waking up with a 1-0-0 record after their season-opening win over Toronto.

As feared, star defensean Andrei Markov required surgery to repair tendon damage in his ankle, which resulted from contact with goaltender Carey Price’s skate blade in the Maple Leafs game.

Markov is expected at least two months. This is a mighty blow to a team with high expectations that counts on Markov not only as a top-notch blueliner but also as a de facto captain (the Habs didn’t give him the ‘C’ despite projections he’d wear it).

Elsewhere around the division:

•Christoph Schubert is no longer in Ottawa and Mike Fisher will be wearing an ‘A’ on his sweater.

•The Dany Heatley debacle left a “sour taste” in Senators owner Eugene Melnyk’s mouth. Watching Heatley post a minus-3 last night for San Jose probably tasted better.

•Toronto defenseman and longtime Boston villain Mike Komisarek showed his young teammates his softer side.

•Former Bruins defenseman Steve Montador is trying to get his Buffalo teammates to work harder.