Home Leafs News Game Day GDT: Game #1, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., Sportsnet)

bernierhabs — Photo: Tom Szczerbowski, USA Today

GDT: Game #1, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., Sportsnet)

Oct 8, 2014

The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montréal Canadiens met for the first time on December 26, 1917 – almost 100 years ago — and Toronto won 7-5. Since then, the teams have met 789 times.

Hockey’s oldest rivalry hasn’t met in the playoffs in nearly 35 years, and that has taken a little bit of the intensity of these match ups, but not much. Toronto has had Montréal’s number in recent years, winning four straight home openers in a row dating back to the 2010-2011 season.

New in this near century-old rivalry will be the debut of Sportsnet as the home of the NHL on TV as we know it. Outgoing is the long standing tradition of watching the Maple Leafs versus the Canadiens on the CBC. Sportsnet has given viewers a sneak peek of brand-new camera angles, and apparently, upgraded commentary and in game presentation.

The two teams come into the season with diametrically opposed seasons; the Canadiens went to the Eastern conference finals last season, while the Maple Leafs melted down during the stretch and missed the playoffs.

Montréal finished the preseason with a 4-3-1 record, while the Leafs finished with a 5-3-1 record. The Leafs split their last two preseason games vs the Detroit Red Wings, while the Canadiens lost both vs the Ottawa Senators.

Keys to the game

Toronto continued building the team over the summer and speed is at the center of what makes them a good team when they are successful. Much digital ink has been spilled over the course of last season, and again over the summer, but the Leafs need to possess the puck and were constantly hemmed in their own zone for huge spells during games. That much is clear.

Early returns from training camp have shown that the Leafs have altered their systems significantly enough to make them harder team to play against, and also a faster team to play against. Toronto has been a different team to look at in the neutral zone, and their defensive zone coverage resembles something closer to an NHL team’s coverage. Not mutually exclusive, breaking out of their zone was also a trouble of the Maple Leafs last year. By having players in position during defensive zone coverage, as opposed to being constantly engaged in “the swarm”, players are also in better position to break out. If the Leafs are able to break out of their own zone with speed, they are a very fast team that other teams have difficulty dealing with, especially off the rush.

Last year the points were wide open against the Leafs, they look to have addressed this by having forwards cover points more aggressively, and this is sure to help the second and third shots that are generated from point shots. Overall, shot suppression is the name of the game’s for the Leafs and if they can hold onto the puck more than they did last season, it should allow for the skill on the team to shine.
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It’s time.