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Injured Canadiens forward Jake Evans progressing, will travel to Vegas: coach

Jun 12, 2021 | 11:30 AM

Montreal Canadiens interim coach Dominique Ducharme says injured forward Jake Evans is progressing and will travel with the team to Vegas for the start of the Stanley Cup semifinals.

Evans suffered a concussion on June 2 when he was levelled by Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele in the final moments of Montreal’s 5-3 win in the second-round series opener.

Scheifele was handed a four-game suspension for the crushing blow and the Canadiens swept the Jets to advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face the Golden Knights starting Monday.

Ducharme says Evans skated on Friday and Saturday, and could be three or four days away from returning from the injury, but the team wants to make sure he’s 100 per cent healthy before putting him back in the lineup.

Evans, 25, has a goal and an assist in four playoff games this season.

Ducharme says injured defencemen Jeff Petry and Jon Merrill will also make the trip to Vegas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2021.

The Canadian Press

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