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Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. EST | Arena: Bell Centre | TV: HNIC | Radio: TSN1050


Game Day Quotes

Babcock on his record against the Canadiens since taking over the Leafs‘ bench:

Before we start, someone said yesterday I was 0-14 against the Habs, and then I said, “No, probably 0-10.” But really, what is it? 0-6-2. So it’s not that… no, it’s terrible.

Babcock on the improvements needed defensively:

We can talk about a lot of different things, but the bottom line is you’ve got to engage. If you want to be good at your job, you have to bring it every day. When you don’t, you don’t look very good. I thought that was very evident in our last game. We let ourselves down. Some nights, the other team is going to flat out beat you. That’s just the way it goes and you get onto the next one. But when you don’t play hard, you’ve got to have a hard look at yourself. We need a much better effort against a hungry Montreal team tonight.

Babcock on Connor Carrick’s return to the lineup:

C’s has been out. He had a bump there, but he’s fine now. He’s got to get out there and get going and get his feet going and be an important part of our team. It’s important to have him in.

Babcock on the Canadiens’ early goal-scoring struggles:

The biggest thing I’m seeing is their shooting percentage is low and normally that turns. The bottom line is we’re early to get into a big panic mode about anything — to think you’re too good, or too bad. Usually, you’re someplace in between. It’s steady on the rudder. Julien has done a good job over the years. He knows what he’s doing.

Babcock on Nikita Zaitsev’s good start to his sophomore season:

Probably understanding English is a big part of it. Knowing where to stand, how to play. Not being confused by the coaches giving you too much information early. The same things that are happening to him are happening to Borgman and Rosen a little bit. It paralyzes you a little bit and you aren’t as good as you should be, and then you get to know the league.

Ron Hainsey is a good example. In [the Montreal] organization four years, took him a long time. He didn’t know he was going to play 14 or 16 years after the fact. It’s a hard league. You get kids here before they’re ready and pretty soon no one likes them anymore. Just because you rushed them, it’s not their fault. Don’t rush guys.


Matchup Stats

TORMTL
Record3-1-01-3-0
GF/g5.5 (1st)1.0 (31st)
GA/g4.0 (26th)3.25 (19th)
PP%33.3% (3rd)0% (t-28th)
PK%81.8 (17th)78.6% (20th)
Shots/g41.3 (1st)38.8 (5th)
Shots Against/g31.0 (8th)29.5 (5th)
5v5 CF%56.9% (4th)60.4% (1st)
5v5 SV%.868 (30th).960 (6th)
5v5 SH%12.6% (4th)1.8% (31st)

Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs Lineup

Forwards
Hyman – Matthews – Nylander
Marleau – Kadri – Leo
van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Marner
Martin – Fehr – Brown

Defencemen
Gardiner – Zaitsev
Rielly – Hainsey
Borgman – Carrick

Goaltenders
Andersen
McElhinney

Scratched: Rosen, Moore, Leivo


Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Forwards
Pacioretty – Drouin – Lehkonen
Byron – De La Rose – Gallagher
Hudon – Danault – Shaw
Galchenyuk – Mitchell – Hemsky

Defence
Mete – Weber
Alzner – Petry
Benn – Davidson

Goaltenders
Price
Montoya

Scratch: Morrow

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