Can the Leafs make it four in a row for the first time this season? A Hockey Day in Canada marquee matchup against the Habs sounds like the perfect occasion.
Toronto enters this game six points back of Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division, meaning they could make it four while also distancing themselves four points clear of the Ottawa Senators, who are nipping at their heels for that last wildcard spot but lost to the New York Rangers 4-1 earlier today.
Toronto will be without the injured David Clarkson, something they’re not exactly unused to. Troy Bodie will step onto the fourth line while Carter Ashton presumably joins Nik Kulemin and Peter Holland on line three.
The Leafs will look to avenge a bit of an embarrassing outing in their last meeting with the Canadiens in Montreal, where they only seemed to wake up once Max Pacioretty scored the 4-0 goal late in the second period – a shorthanded, backhanded squeaker on Bernier – and capped it off with an excalibur sword celebration.
If you aren’t already fired up for this game, especially after watching this HNIC montage below, you’re on the wrong website.
GO LEAFS GO.
Projected TML Lineup
JvR – Bozak – Kessel
Raymond – Kadri – Lupul
Kulemin – Holland – Ashton
Bodie – McClement – Orr
Gunnarsson – Phaneuf
Gleason – Franson
Gardiner – Rielly
Bernier
Projected MTL Lineup
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Gallagher
Prust – Plekanec – Gionta
Bournival – Eller – Briere
Moen – Nattinen – Parros
Gorges – Subban
Markov – Emelin
Murray – Diaz
Price
