Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
How to watch
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet East/Ontario/Pacific (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the US: NHL Network
Streaming: NHL.tv/NHL Live, Sportsnet Now
Another game, another key injury for the Canadiens. This time it’s Phillip Danault, who is now out with a concussion and not the issue that had been bothering him in the previous game. That means the Canadiens’ most trusted centre and their number-one goaltender are on the sidelines recovering from brain injuries just days before the post-season is set to begin.
Montreal has used another emergency recall to get Alex Belzile into the lineup, and Jake Evans should make that a smooth transition. Not only did they play in Laval last season, but they were also on the ice together for over 20 minutes of five-on-five time is last year’s playoffs. Belzile will be eager to prove that he can be counted on once again this time around if the Habs need a player to step in in the playoffs.
The lineup shuffle has Tomas Tatar playing with the Jesperi Kotkaniemi/Josh Anderson duo, while Caufield takes up the same spot in which he finished the game — and score a goal — on Thursday, with the veterans Eric Staal and Corey Perry. Nick Suzuki, who had his seven-game point streak snapped in his last outing, is the only centre to keep his previous wingers.
Jake Allen gets the start after what was supposed to be a two-day rest turned into just one when he was called upon to start the second period. He’ll be doing his best to not get the Habs buried in a deep hole in the opening minutes, though the forwards are probably hoping to turn that storyline in their favour in another important game on the Habs’ schedule.
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Tomas Tatar | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | Josh Anderson |
| Tyler Toffoli | Nick Suzuki | Joel Armia |
| Artturi Lehkonen | Jake Evans | Alex Belzile |
| Corey Perry | Eric Staal | Cole Caufield |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Joel Edmundson | Jeff Petry |
| Brett Kulak | Ben Chiarot |
| Alexander Romanov | Jon Merrill |
Goaltenders
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Jake Allen | Cayden Primeau |
Scratched: Erik Gustafsson
Injured/Ill: Paul Byron (lower body), Phillip Danault (concussion) Jonathan Drouin (leave of absence), Brendan Gallagher (broken thumb), Carey Price (concussion), Shea Weber (lower body)
Toronto Maple Leafs projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Thornton | Auston Matthews | Mitch Marner |
| Alex Galchenyuk | John Tavares | William Nylander |
| Pierre Engvall | Alexander Kerfoot | Ilya Mikheyev |
| Jason Spezza | Adam Brooks | Wayne Simmonds |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Morgan Rielly | T.J. Brodie |
| Jake Muzzin | Justin Holl |
| Ben Hutton | Travis Dermott |
Goaltenders
| Starter | Backup |
|---|---|
| Jack Campbell | David Rittich |
