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Habs hope to get back on track vs the Maple Leafs |
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The seasons of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have been quite the tale of two cities. The Canadiens started the 2016-2017 NHL regular season as hot as can be, going 13-1-1 before the wheels slowly fell off cumulating with the recent firing of head coach Michel Therrien and replaced by Claude Julien. Expectations were high for the Canadiens, especially considering they were able to survive multiple injuries to key players in December through early January. They have been atop the division for pretty much every second of the season yet they now find themselves in a precarious position, just two points ahead of the Ottawa Senators who hold two games in hand. Tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs is big on many levels. Win and the Canadiens extend their lead on the third place Maple Leafs by six points. Lose and the Maple Leafs are just two points behind with one game in hand.
The Maple Leafs have become one of the most exciting teams in the NHL to watch. They have by far exceeded expectations as while some may have optimistically thought that they could battle for a wild card spot before the season even began, they are in the thick of things for a top three position in the Atlantic division. Led by a trio of rookies and under the tutelage of Mike Babcock, the Maple Leafs are thriving. Auston Matthews is sensational to watch. Mitch Marner is absolutely incredible and William Nylander is certainly no slouch either. There is so much positivity in the air in Toronto while the negativity in Montreal is fogging the city.
Unfortunately for Hockey Night in Canada, Marner will not be in the lineup this evening as he is still recovering from his shoulder injury. Oddly, Babcock seemed to be criticizing his medical staff after the Leafs skate this morning, believing that Marner looked healthy enough to play:
Babcock is one of the most well-respected coaches in the NHL. However his reaction to Marner’s health and getting the red light from the doctors is very much old-school. That is why players are not forthcoming with their ailments. That is why there is such a tough guy mentality. Shouldn’t Marner’s health be of the utmost importance? Shouldn’t Babcock want Marner healthy for the long haul rather than risk further injuring his shoulder in game? The Canadiens certainly know what that is like considering how Alex Galchenyuk has struggled since returning from his knee injury and then aggravating it just a few games after he returned.
Frederik Andersen will start in net for the Maple Leafs while Tyler Bozak remains a game-time decision. Carey Price will start in net for the Canadiens while any lineup changes will officially be announced later in the day. The Canadiens practice this morning was optional. At practice before the team left for Toronto David Desharnais and Sven Andrighetto replaced Brian Flynn and Michael McCarron on the team’s fourth line. McCarron has not brought the same energy that he had in his first stint with the team. However, he seems to rise to the occasion when playing the Leafs as he has one goal and one assist against them this season in two games played.
The Canadiens are under tremendous pressure to put together a solid performance and come back to Montreal with two points in the bank. The team has had a rocky start under Julien’s reign and with just 21 games left in the season, they will need to get back onto the same page sooner or later as they are slowly running out of time. The trade deadline is just days away and Marc Bergevin must decide if he will join in on the frenzy or be a passenger. Perhaps the Canadiens performance tonight will help him make that decision…
Puck drops at 7pm.
Cheers and enjoy the game!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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