The Maple Leafs held an optional skate at the Bell Centre on Saturday. The Canadiens held a full skate.
The Leafs and Canadiens will renew their rivalry on Saturday night in Montreal with both teams looking to get back on track.
“We’re both kind of going through some struggles right now,” said Leafs forward Steven Lorentz. “It’s going to be a good test for both sides. We just got to come out hot with a lot of jump. We’re expecting it to be a loud building. There’s going to be a lot of boos for us and we’re going to use that to our advantage.”
Toronto is winless in six of seven games (1-4-2) following Thursday’s overtime loss at home to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Montreal is winless in five straight (0-4-1) after getting beat 8-4 by the Washington Capitals at home on Thursday.
The Canadiens are two points up on the Leafs in the standings (23-21) with both teams currently outside a playoff position.
“With where we’re at right now and where they’re at, it’s a huge game,” said Leafs forward Max Domi. “It’s going to be a playoff-like game.”
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The Leafs will make one lineup change with Quebec native Sammy Blais drawing in up front.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” coach Craig Berube explained. “It’s going to be a physical game, in my opinion, to a certain extent. I just think that he can come in here and disrupt them a little bit with his physicality.”
Jacob Quillan will be a healthy scratch.
Blais started the season with the Canadiens, who placed him on waivers at the end of training camp.
“I’m really motivated,” the 6-foot-2, 206-pound winger said. “Kind of a little more of a chip on my shoulder tonight, for sure.”
Blais, who leads the Leafs in hits per 60 minutes this season, will have 10 to 15 family members in attendance on Saturday night.
“Normally, I don’t get too nervous,” the 29-year-old said. “But my family is going to be here tonight so, for sure, it’s going to be fun to have them there and watch me play. I haven’t seen them in a while so it’s going to be fun for sure. And just playing at the Bell Centre, it’s always a little more motivation. I’m from here. So it’ll be a fun one tonight.”
Among those in attendance will be his two young daughters.
The last time Blais played in Montreal he was given a game misconduct penalty after hitting then Canadiens defenceman Jordan Harris from behind on his second shift.
“He hits hard,” said Lorentz. “You can see that. Every time he finishes a check usually the other guy’s laying on his backside. So, I think a guy like that is good to have on your side, especially when this building is going to be loud and their team is going to be looking for big hits, too.”
Leafs give waivers pick-up Blais a shot at revenge vs. hometown Habs The Canadiens placed Sammy Blais on waivers ahead of the season and the Maple Leafs scooped him up. Tonight, Blais will get a shot at revenge against his hometown team as Toronto tries to get back into the win column against a struggling Habs team that the Leafs know won’t make it easy.
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Looking for a spark, the Canadiens have called up forward Florian Xhekaj, who has 44 penalty minutes in 16 American Hockey League games this season with the Laval Rocket.
“I don’t know a whole lot about his game, but if he’s anything like his brother [Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj] then you expect he’s going to be physical and he’s not going to be afraid to go in those corners and look for those big hits,” said Lorentz. “So, just something we got to be aware of. It’s exciting for the kid … That’s a heck of a debut. Pretty cool for him. I hope he has a good time, but we’re here to kind of spoil the party for them.”
The Leafs are third in the NHL in hits this season while the Canadiens rank 16th.
‘Not going to be shying away’: Leafs expect extra physicality with Xhekaj debuting The Habs have called up Florian Xhekaj and the feisty forward will make his NHL debut tonight against the Maple Leafs. “If he’s anything like his brother, then you expect he’s going to be physical,” Steven Lorentz said ahead of the matchup. The Leafs won’t be shying away: “We got some big boys too,” noted Scott Laughton.
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Joseph Woll will make his fourth straight start for the Leafs. He’s posted a .923 save percentage since returning from personal leave.
“Besides the saves I thought his puck play was really good last game too, helping breaking the puck out,” noted Berube.
“He’s looked incredible,” said centre Scott Laughton. “He’s given us a lot of calm back there … It’s hard to miss time and come right back into the fire, and he’s done a fantastic job for us, and we’re going to need him to continue to do that for us.”
Opening-night starter Anthony Stolarz is sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered on Nov. 11 and there is no timeline for his return. Dennis Hildeby, who has an .890 save percentage in 10 career NHL games, is the current back-up goalie.
Saturday will be Woll’s fourth game in an eight-day stretch, but Berube isn’t worried about the workload.
“We’re not there yet,” the coach said. “But it’s obviously in the back of my mind for sure. After tonight, we got a little break, right, until Columbus, so that’s good, but then it gets busy so we got to be managing his load for sure.”
Following Saturday’s game, the Leafs will return home for a couple practices before heading to Columbus to start a five-game trip on Wednesday.
Jakub Dobes will get the start for the Canadiens on Saturday.
Berube admits Leafs need to be careful with Woll’s workload soon Joseph Woll has hit the ground running since returning to Toronto, playing his way to a 2.57 GAA and .923 SV% in three games. The Leafs have been impressed with how Woll has played despite the time off, and head coach Craig Berube notes they need to be careful with his workload coming up.
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Saturday will mark Laughton’s first game in Montreal since being acquired by the Leafs.
“Definitely pretty excited,” the Oakville, Ont. native said. “Yeah, it’s special.”
This never gets old for Lorentz, who picked up a pair of assists in Toronto’s opening-night win over Montreal at Scotiabank Arena.
“This is probably the easiest game you can get up for,” the Kitchener, Ont. native. “It’s what you dream of when you’re a kid, especially growing up in the Toronto area.”
But Toronto’s youngest player did not wax poetic about the rivalry.
“Just another game,” insisted Easton Cowan, who is from Mount Brydges, Ont. “Obviously, you know, it will be a loud building, but just treat it as another hockey game and try to get the two points.”
Cowan, 20, is all business these days. After producing an assist and logging a career-high 20 minutes and six seconds on Thursday, Cowan accepted some blame for the defeat.
“I’m getting chances,” the rookie winger said after matching his career high with four shots on net. “I got to bury one of them since I’m out there a lot. So, yeah, I take responsibility.”
Cowan has one goal and four assists through his first 14 NHL games.
“I think he can give himself a little bit of grace,” said Laughton with a smile. “It’s hard coming from junior and making that step and just everything away from the rink. It’s a different beast for sure with the way the schedule is set up and everything like that. So, yeah, he can give himself some grace.”
Laughton points out that Cowan is generating chances.
“It’s going to drop for him, and hopefully it starts tonight,” the 31-year-old said.
Leafs like Cowan’s accountability, but kid should also cut himself some slack Easton Cowan called himself out following Toronto’s OT loss to the Blue Jackets on Thursday, saying if he buried one of his chances the Leafs could’ve won the game. Cowan’s teammates like the 20-year-old’s accountability and said he sounds like a vet, but believe he should cut himself some slack.
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Injured players Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies made the trip to Montreal and skated on Saturday morning, but will remain out of the lineup against the Canadiens.
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Leafs attendance at optional morning skate on Saturday:
FORWARDS
Dakota Joshua
Steven Lorentz
Auston Matthews
Bobby McMann
Matthew Knies
Jacob Quillan
DEFENCE
Jake McCabe
Philippe Myers
G
Dennis Hildeby
Canadiens lines at Saturday’s morning skate:
F
Caufield – Suzuki – Bolduc
Slafkovsky – Kapanen – Demidov
Xhekaj – Evans – Anderson
Davidson – Veleno – Gallagher
D
Matheson – Dobson
Struble – Hutson
Xhekaj – Carrier
G
Dobes
