A separated left shoulder will cause Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Tanguay to miss at least six weeks of NHL action.

Tanguay was hurt in the first period of a 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Tuesday on a body check by 6-foot-5-inch, 260-pound Lightning forward Evgeny Artyukhin.

The Montreal Gazette reported Friday that the hit was so violent that a pane of glass was dislodged from the corner boards at the St. Pete Times (Fla.) Forum, and fell to the ice in an unbroken sheet.

"It's easier having a shoulder (injury)," Tanguay told the newspaper. "In hockey, the biggest and most important muscles are your legs. I'll be able to work on my legs for that amount of time."

"We'll just have to keep playing well without him," Coach Guy Carbonneau said.

The 39-yearold Tanguay has scored 26 points this season (10 goals, 16 assists).