Maple Leafs-Canadiens has become a transcendent rivalry once again

Since the Toronto Maple Leafs’ disastrous result against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 playoffs, the Maple Leafs and their fans haven’t had to think about the Canadiens being competitive or as a contender. Montreal went into a full rebuild after a Cinderella run to the 2021 Final, firing general manager Marc Bergevin and coach Dominique Ducharme, replacing them with Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis, respectively.

The last few years for the Canadiens have resulted in three bottom five-finishes, slumping to dead-last in 2021-22. Hughes, after stockpiling a ton of draft picks through trades, has been tasked with making them count. And he has by selecting Juraj Slafkovsky, Filip Mesar, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Jacob Fowler, and hit a home run during the 2024 NHL Draft by picking Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage.

Entering this season, the Canadiens’ front office and fans hoped to play meaningful games down the stretch, and 16 games into the season, it didn’t appear likely. The rebuild was put into question. Montreal appeared destined for another top-five pick, tied for 31st in the NHL.

All of that has changed. Following the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canadiens are tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 14-5-4, sitting in the second wildcard spot.

Hughes began forming the core of the Canadiens’ next wave upon being appointed as GM, starting with captain Nick Suzuki. Suzuki is taking this game to the next level since being left off the 4 Nations roster for Team Canada. He has 14 goals, 21 assists for 35 points in 23 games to go along with a plus-13 rating. His linemate, Cole Caufield, has been terrific as well with 19 points in that same span, including 11 goals. Sam Montembeault has come into his own as a legit starting goaltender in the NHL, since being listed as the third goalie on Team Canada at the 4 Nations. He’s posted a 12-3-3 record in 18 games with a .910 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average. Then there’s the potential Calder Trophy winner in Hutson, and a modern power forward in Slafkovsky, who rounds out one of the best lines in the NHL alongside Suzuki and Caufield.

And of course, they’re tied with the Maple Leafs during this new era of prosperity, who have posted a 15-6-2 record since the break.

Maple Leafs-Canadiens will always have hype, but for the last couple of years, all that hype has just been because of the history attached. At the start of the season, when the Canadiens beat the Maple Leafs on opening night, thanks to an incredible 48-save performance by Montembeault, nobody cared. Maple Leafs fans discounted any potential threat the Canadiens posed.

For the first time since the 2021 playoffs, it’s more than just the two teams facing off. The Maple Leafs are trying to come closer to locking down the Atlantic Division for the first time ever, while the Canadiens try to clinch a playoff spot. But it’s not just about Saturday night for both teams. It’s about a renewed Canadiens team looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021, while in the infancy stages of a new core that hasn’t come close its peak yet.

And it’s about a Maple Leafs team firmly in their contention window, looking to win the Atlantic for the first time with a major rival putting them to the test, with both teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup. Maple Leafs-Canadiens on Saturday night has once again become a rivalry that transcends the team names.