Hockey’s greatest rivalry, though diluted by one team’s struggles the last several years, is on display tonight. The Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens for the second time this season, playing/streaming at 7 p.m. on CBC.
The underdog Leafs have a chance to play spoiler here against the undefeated (8-0-0) Canadiens. Handing Montreal their first loss of the season, at the Bell Centre, on Hockey Night in Canada, would be one of those “solace victories” in what is shaping up to be a long year in Leafland.
Mike Babcock summed up the current Canadiens quite well in his game day talk: “I think the goalie’s good. I think their first line, right now, is one of the best in the National Hockey League. They have left and right hand shots in each pair on the back end and they move the puck good. They can trust all four centers. They seem to be playing hard as a group. Did I mention the goalie’s good?”
Carey Price is far from the ideal matchup for a team struggling for offense – not unexpectedly – in the early going while adapting to a significant systems overhaul and, well, a general lack of difference-making offensive talent without a certain someone. Daniel Winnik still leads the team in scoring with four points, and the Leafs have scored eight goals in five games outside the Columbus game. But, hey, the Leafs outplayed the Habs in the first meeting, and if they can generate a little more traffic in front, who knows?
In lineup news, Peter Holland sits so Byron Froese can make his NHL debut. Babcock attributed the move to “wanting to be harder to play against down the middle,” which is in part a compliment to Froese’s play with the Marlies but is perhaps more so an indictment of Peter Holland’s start to the season. You have the feeling, if Holland could’ve bore down on a couple more chances – of which he’s had plenty, usually a pretty good sign – we aren’t talking about this, but it can sure be frustrating to see a center of Holland’s size not win enough of his battles while also not producing.
With Jake Gardiner out, Babcock is also re-uniting the pair of Hunwick and Phaneuf, who started the season together. Babcock’s logic is sound here: “I didn’t think that having Reilly and Hunwick together, and then Dion with – I don’t know who you’re going to put him with – Polak or Harrington or Marincin, was as good, so this gives me two good pairs.”
Expect the Winnik and Spaling line to receive a good share of the matchups with the red-hot Pacioretty line. Pacioretty, Gallagher and Plekanec are all point a game or better through eight games, and Pacioretty has six goals.
Just a heads up: In addition to the usual Price worshipping each and every play stoppage, Glen Healy is going to point out that their top line is a combined +29 and the Markov – Subban pairing are a combined +27, as if combining plus-minus of a line into a single bigger number makes the fact that they’ve been on the ice for 8-11 even-strength goals more than they’ve been scored on more impressive than it already is (it doesn’t).
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens Lineup - Oct. 24th, 2015| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| van Riemsdyk | Kadri | Komarov |
| Winnik | Spaling | Lupul |
| Matthias | Arcobello | Boyes |
| Grabner | Froese | Parenteau |
| Left Defence | Right Defence | |
| Rielly | Hunwick | |
| Marincin | Phaneuf | |
| Harrington | Polak | |
| Goal: | Bernier |
