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Habs scratch Rene Bourque for second straight game

Montreal Canadiens v Edmonton Oilers

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 27: Rene Bourque #17 of the Montreal Canadiens in action against the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game at Rexall Place on October 27, 2014 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

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Rene Bourque’s impressive 2014 postseason run seems like a distant memory today, as the Montreal Canadiens will make him a healthy scratch against the Minnesota Wild. That’s the second straight game in which Bourque will be in street clothes.

(But, hey, you have to make room for Travis Moen, right?)

One is tempted to joke that the Canadiens should hypnotize Bourque into thinking every game’s a playoff contest. He scored nine goals in 63 regular season contests in 2013-14 and then almost matched that total with 8 tallies in just 17 playoff matches.

The 32-year-old’s been especially dismal in 2014-15. Bourque doesn’t have a goal yet, managing two assists and a garish -9 rating in 13 games. It’s not like he’s plagued by bad puck luck alone, either; Bourque only has 18 shots on goal (well under two per game).

About the best thing you can say for Bourque is that his possession stats have been inoffensive.

It’s tough not to overreact and wonder about Bourque’s future in Montreal in situations like these. Still, it’s early November and it’s often unwise to trade a guy when his value is low, so any conjecture about a move should be taken with a grain/pound of salt.

That said, Bourque has plenty of room for improvement.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins