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Palushaj sent down, Leblanc stays with Habs

The Montreal Canadiens announced this afternoon that Aaron Palushaj has been sent back to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

So yes Habs fans, it appears that Louis Leblanc is getting another look see by the big club.

Leblanc was rushed to California, following the suspension of Max Pacioretty, and saw just 7:52 of ice time against the Anaheim Ducks. Leblanc nearly doubled that output (14:52) the following night against the San Jose Sharks.

His offensive skill set came out Saturday, against the Los Angeles Kings, where he helped set up Andrei Kostitsyn’s game winning goal. Rather than charge to the net, as many younger players might, Leblanc quickly passed off to Lars Eller. It was probably one of the best passing sequences in the offensive zone this season for the Habs.

Despite the offensive display, Leblanc’s TOI was only 11:11, with the bulk of it coming in the second period. It probably was reduced due to the Canadiens playing over 10 minutes of the game shorthanded.

In the post-game reaction, coach Jacques Martin praised Leblanc’s work ethic, but didn’t note how this would pan out with Pacioretty’s return. I guess we know now.

Chris Boucher looks at Leblanc’s first three games. Pierre Ladoceur gave Leblanc a 7.0 in his report card (7.0 vs Sharks and 6.6 vs Ducks)

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