Drop the Puck on a New Season | PREVIEW: MTL @ TOR

By
Rick Stephens
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0
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GAME DAY PREVIEW | Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Preview, TV, Start Time, Statistical Match-up, Projected Lines, Starting Goalies, Keys to Victory, Habs Tickets

Game Preview (with contributions from Cole Jurzyniec)

A Look Ahead

The Canadiens begin the regular season without two of the most impactful players for the franchise, Carey Price and Shea Weber. Making the playoffs will be a steep challenge. Expect rookie Cole Caufield to provide excitement as he makes a push for the Calder Trophy. And fans returning to the Bell Centre at full capacity should provide an enormous boost to the team.

Last game: MTL 4  TOR 5  F/SO (Exhibition Game 6)

For a complete game recap: Habs Close Out Pre-season | RECAP: OTT @ MTL

Players to Watch

  • Jake Allen
    For the moment, Allen will be the team’s number one goaltender after a sub-par pre-season. Allen started well last season but then won just seven of his final 24 starts. The Canadiens will need him to bring his ‘A’ game to hold down the fort until Carey Price returns.
  • Cole Caufield
    Caufield enters the 2021-’22 campaign with just 10 regular season games to his credit. But expectations are high that the 20-year-old can make an impact on the Canadiens top line as a rookie given his chemistry with centre Nick Suzuki.
  • Christian Dvorak
    Dvorak comes from Arizona with a bit of a checkered resume, very effective when playing alongside top wingers but a passenger when relied on to drive the play. Dvorak will be expected to fill the skates of Phillip Danault playing in key situations and taking important faceoffs.

Keys to Victory

  • Shut down offensive threats
    Toronto will be bring high intensity hockey to the opening game in front of their own fans. The Canadiens must move the puck quickly and not get caught flat-footed. The Habs can’t underestimate the Leafs given the absence of Auston Matthews.
  • Clear the zone
    The Leafs dominated the Canadiens at even strength during their three pre-season games. The Habs must do a better job clearing their own zone and limiting zone entries by the Leafs.
  • Stay disciplined
    It is early in the season and there will be an abundance of penalties called. The Maple Leafs had just the 16th ranked power-play in the league last season but they have the offensive talent to change that quickly.
Statistical Matchup for Game 1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON | October 13, 7:00 PM ET | TV: TVAS, SN,  ESPN+

2020-21 final statistics
MAPLE LEAFS CANADIENS
77 (6th) Points (rank) 59 (18th)
35-14-7 Record 24-21-11
18-7-3 Home/Away 11-10-7
7-1-2 Last 10 4-4-2
3.32 GF/G 2.82
2.64 GA/G 2.95
20.0 (16th) PP% (rank) 19.2 (17th)
78.5 (24th) PK% (rank) 78.5 (23rd)
51.01  CF% 54.50
Pre-game Quotes
Dominique Ducharme

  • “I’d say that right now we’re pretty much in the same situation we were in towards the end of last year. Not a lot of people believe in us, so we’ll see what we can do to change that.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Ritchie – Tavares – Marner
Bunting – Kerfoot – Nylander
Engvall – Kampf – Kase
Simmonds – Amadio – Spezza		 Toffoli – Suzuki – Caufield
Drouin – Dvorak – Anderson
Armia – Evans – Gallagher
Perreault – Paquette – Lehkonen
Defensemen
Rielly – Brodie
Muzzin – Holl
Sandin – Dermott		 Kulak – Petry
Chiarot – Savard
Romanov – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched:
Injured: Mikheyev, Matthews
 Scratched: Belzile, Niku, Brooks
Injured: Edmundson (undisclosed), Norlinder (lower-body), Price (player assistance program), Hoffman (lower-body), Byron (hip), Weber (multiple injuries)
Goalies
Jack Campbell Jake Allen
Jack Campbell Leafs
Record (2020-21): 17-3-2
GAA: 2.15
Sv%: .921
SO: 2
Alternate: Petr Mrazek		 Record (2020-21): 11-12-5
GAA: 2.68
Sv%: .907
SO: 0
Alternate: Samuel Montembeault
 Game Expectations
The Maple Leafs exited last year’s playoffs far earlier than expected at the hands of Carey Price and the Canadiens. Leafs players haven’t forgotten and will be looking for some payback. And with fans in Scotiabank Arena at full capacity, the Habs will need to weather the storm early. It will be a tall challenge for the Canadiens listed as nearly two-to-one underdogs for their first contest of the regular season.

Bottom Line

As the season starts, there are questions about how the season will unfold for Jonathan Drouin, Christian Dvorak and Cole Caufield. This will be their first opportunity to answer them.
 Video Highlights

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