Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs: Game thread, rosters, lines, and how to watch

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+

The first game of the season is finally upon us, and both the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are already dealing with injuries. The Habs lost Patrik Laine when the two teams met in the pre-season, and they’re also without Jayden Struble for this game after he left yesterday’s practice. The Leafs, meanwhile, are missing starting goaltender Joseph Woll, so we’ll see Anthony Stolarz between the pipes this evening.

Stolarz won the Stanley Cup in Florida, and it’s clear that the Leafs want to bring that pedigree to the current team because they also added Steven Lorentz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the same team. Many are hoping this is finally the year for a Leafs team that glides through the regular season without much difficulty.

The Canadiens have never been fazed by facing this version of the Maple Leafs and their star forwards, generally playing competitive games when the teams meet, and tonight shouldn’t be any different. The two pre-season games were decided by one goal apiece, and the first meeting of the season usually results in plenty of goals for both teams. We’ll see if that holds true this evening.

Montreal Canadiens projected lineup

Toronto Maple Leafs projected lineup