The Montreal Canadiens (31-42-6) are in Ontario on Saturday night to face the Toronto Maple Leafs (46-21-11) at the Scotiabank Arena. The puck drop for the last Hockey Night in Canada of the season is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
With just three games left on the docket, the Canadiens’ injury-plagued season is mercifully coming to an end.
The Canadiens are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a decisive 6-2 win over Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, one of their most dominant wins that took place at the Bell Centre this season.
Oft-maligned winger Joel Armia scored his second NHL hat trick and will look to capitalize on the late-season momentum he created, given he’s one of the many veterans who is not guaranteed to have a spot on the Canadiens roster next season.
The game also featured Brendan Gallagher’s eighth goal of the year, a continuation of the resurgence he’s enjoyed since returning to the lineup from his latest injury.
Sean Farrell practiced as a defenceman Saturday morning, which means there’s a defenceman call-up incoming later today. The Canadiens are also expected to call up a goaltender to backup Samuel Montembeault.
On that note, Carey Price was spotted at Canadiens practice, but we should not expect him to suit up given he has not played since last season.
As for the Leafs, they’re sporting a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 games and have already clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.
With that in mind, players such as Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie are expected to be given the night off against Montreal.
Grinder Zach Aston-Reese has been driving the offence for the Leafs of late, producing four points in his last five games, including three goals.
Overall, Mitch Marner has been the team’s MVP thanks to an excellent season that has included 28 goals and 67 assists in 77 games. Marner has scored 29 points in 31 career games versus Montreal.
The Leafs are expected to give goaltender Ilya Samsonov the start against the Habs.
Montreal Canadiens Injuries
- Jake Allen (Day-to-Day)
- Kaiden Guhle (Injured)
- Jordan Harris (Injured)
- Alex Belzile (Injured Reserve)
- David Savard (Injured Reserve)
- Kirby Dach (Injured)
- Christian Dvorak (Injured Reserve)
- Josh Anderson (Injured Reserve)
- Arber Xhekaj (Injured Reserve)
- Juraj Slafkovsky (Injured Reserve)
- Cole Caufield (Injured Reserve)
- Sean Monahan (LTIR)
- Carey Price (LTIR)
- Paul Byron (LTIR)
Toronto Maple Leafs Injuries
- Matt Murray (out)
- Victor Mete (Injured Reserve)
Montreal Canadiens Previous Lineup
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael Harvey-Pinard | Nick Suzuki | Joel Armia |
| Denis Gurianov | Jonathan Drouin | Brendan Gallagher |
| Mike Hoffman |
Jake Evans | Rem Pitlick |
| Micheal Pezzetta | Chris Tierney | Jesse Ylonen |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Mike Matheson | Justin Barron |
| Joel Edmundson | Chris Wideman |
| Jonathan Kovacevic | |
| Goalie |
|---|
| Samuel Montembeault |
Toronto Maple Leafs Previous Lineup
Bunting – Matthews – Jarnkrok
Nylander – Tavares – Marner
Kerfoot – O’Reilly – Acciari
Aston-Reese – Kampf – Lafferty
Defence:
McCabe – Brodie
Giordano – Holl
Rielly – Schenn
Goalies:
Samsonov
Special Teams
| Team | PP % | PK % |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 16.7% (28th) | 73.1% (28th) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 25% (4th) | 81% (12th) |
How to Watch Or Listen
TV
CBC, TVA, SNE
Radio
More must-reads: