Game 1: Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Although the Montreal Canadiens failed to improve in the standings, the conclusion of the 2023-24 season was accompanied by a sense of progress. Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovský, and Cole Caufield continued to develop into franchise cornerstones — a sentiment echoed by their lengthy contract extensions during the summer. Alex Newhook showed that his career had not peaked in Denver, while Joshua Roy and Jayden Struble took notable first steps in their NHL journeys. Even a season-ending injury to Kirby Dach at the start of the year was tempered by a glimpse at the end of the campaign of what Lane Hutson was capable of.
For the first time since Montreal’s front office change, the team possessed a clear core — not a potential core or a future core — to build from. The optimism was so great that as the 2024-25 campaign drew near, the word “playoffs” buzzed in the air around Ville-Marie. That buzz intensified to a rumble after the trade that brought Patrik Laine to Montreal.
And it was silenced on Saturday, September 28.
Beyond the injuries to David Reinbacher and Laine, the tenor of the pre-season turned on a dime after that fateful first period. On-ice performance took a backseat to pugnacity and preservation, and consequently back-to-back defeats by the Ottawa Senators revealed little about the Canadiens other than their general disdain for both their opposition and the pre-season schedule. So while Wednesday will certainly ratchet the intensity, adrenaline, and pace up a notch or three, it also marks the first time that the Habs will fully ice their intended roster (Laine notwithstanding).
Fortunately, the Canadiens won’t be starting from scratch as their current deployment looks very similar to how they concluded 2023-24 in April. Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Slafkovský will be the first names pencilled onto the lineup sheet. The duo of Newhook and Joel Armia, originally formed after Sean Monahan’s departure last season, welcomes Dach to its company. The bottom six welcomes back Christian Dvorak, Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, and Michael Pezzetta. They are joined by the two surprises of the pre-season: Oliver Kapanen and Alex Barré-Boulet, as well as Emil Heineman — who is hoping to have made the jump to the NHL for good.
The blue line sees a little bit more turnover, but not as much as people originally believed could be possible. Guhle, having recovered from an appendectomy, and Mike Matheson will resume where they left off last season. Arber Xhekaj, Justin Barron, and Jayden Struble all return, forcing Logan Mailloux and newcomer Adam Engström to the Laval Rocket. The one major difference is Hutson, who looks to start the season on the second pair with David Savard. This septet will form the barrier between the opposition and the familiar combination of Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, both looking to build on a successful 2023-24.
| Canadiens | Statistics (23-24) | Maple Leafs |
|---|---|---|
| 30-37-14 | Record | 40-32-9 |
| 44.2% (29th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 52.0% (10th) |
| 2.83 (26th) | Goals per game | 3.63 (2nd) |
| 3.43 (27th) | Goals against per game | 3.18 (21st) |
| 17.5% (27th) | PP% | 24.0% (7th) |
| 76.5% (24th) | PK% | 76.9% (23rd) |
| 0-2-1 | Head-to-Head Record | 3-0-0 |
If people are disappointed by how similar the Canadiens look between this season and the last, they need look no further than their opposition. Yes, the Maple Leafs ultimately decided to run it back with all four Core Four members (as well as Morgan Rielly), but change gnaws at every edge of this year’s version of the Blue and White. The biggest change is behind the bench, where Sheldon Keefe has been replaced by Craig Berube. The new coach has already stamped his authority on the club, removing music from practices and potentially benching Timothy Liljegren for the season-opener.
Beyond that, Tyler Bertuzzi, Noah Gregor, Mark Giordano, Ilya Lyubushkin, T.J. Brodie, John Klingberg, and Ilya Samsonov are all no longer with the club, while Calle Järnkrok and Fraser Minten will both start the season on Injured Reserve. In their stead, the Leafs have brought in Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and (the currently injured) Jani Hakanpää from free agency, carried over Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins from last year, officially handed over the goaltending reins to Joseph Woll (career high 25 games started in a single season) and Anthony Stolarz (28 games), and welcomed Steven Lorentz and some guy named Max Pacioretty through open tryouts.
For the third consecutive season in the Kent Hughes era, the Canadiens and Maple Leafs open the season against each other. For the third consecutive season, the Canadiens look to make incremental gains while the Leafs try to hold their window open for just a little while longer. However, the sense of urgency has never been greater for both sides.
Toronto is facing a potential final dance with the Core Four, as Mitch Marner and John Tavares are potential UFAs this off-season. As such, they have doubled down on the present, enticing 34-year-old Tanev and 33-year-old Ekman-Larsson from more successful franchises by offering considerable term — the former is locked in until 2030 and the latter 2028.
While Montreal faces nowhere near that level of pressure, the team is expected to start making a move upward in the standings. As more and more players move off entry-level contracts, a future window of contention begins to take shape. The Canadiens need to move towards it, because, as their opponent shows, it closes sooner than one imagines.
