Canadiens vs Maple Leafs - Game Thread
It's finally here, ladies and gentlemen. The NHL's regular season begins in one hour on CBC and RDS with the Montreal Canadiens facing off against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Welcome everyone, the time has finally come. Eyes on the Prize has seen a lot of new commenters, and if you're a lurker thus far and want to comment, head on up to the top right of the page and click "Sign Up". It's quick and easy, and you can interact with the fine folks in the commentariat.
Because there are so many new people, the affable Scott Matla took it upon himself to create a guide to the game thread, which should be helpful in understanding some of the inevitable inside jokes and other nonsense. With that out of the way, let's get on to the game!
Game time is 7:00PM EST, and here are your projected lineups:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Rene Bourque | Tomas Plekanec | Brian Gionta |
| Alex Galchenyuk | Lars Eller | Brendan Gallagher |
| Max Pacioretty | David Desharnais | Danny Briere |
| Travis Moen | Brandon Prust | George Parros |
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Josh Gorges | P.K. Subban |
| Andrei Markov | Raphael Diaz |
| Jarred Tinordi | Francis Bouillon |
| Goaltenders |
| Carey Price |
| Peter Budaj |
Scratches: Michael Bournival, Ryan White
Injuries: Douglas Murray (4-6 weeks, upper body), Alexei Emelin (indefinitely, knee surgery), Davis Drewiske (4-6 weeks, sprained shoulder)
As for Toronto:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| James van Reimsdyk | Tyler Bozak | Phil Kessel |
| Joffrey Lupul | Nazem Kadri | Nikolai Kulemin |
| Mason Raymond | Dave Bolland | Troy Bodie |
| Carter Ashton | Jay McClement | Colton Orr |
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
| Dion Phaneuf | Carl Gunnarsson |
| Jake Gardiner | Cody Franson |
| Mark Fraser | Paul Ranger |
| Goaltenders |
| James Reimer |
| Jonathan Bernier |
Check out the opposing side at Pension Plan Puppets.