Home Featured Pezzetta, Harris In | PREVIEW: MTL @ TOR

Pezzetta, Harris In | PREVIEW: MTL @ TOR

Cole Jurzyniec
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Pezzetta, Harris In | PREVIEW: MTL @ TOR

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 

A Look Back

There were no cheese-burgers present on the ice in New Jersey as the Canadiens took full advantage of Andrew Hammond. The former Habs netminder put up a disastrous .684 save percentage for the Devils allowing six of the seven goals on 19 shots. Cole Caufield scored for the third game in a row. Kale Clague put up three points in his return to the lineup.

Last game: MTL 7  NJD 4  F

For a complete game recap: Beating the ‘Burglar | RECAP: MTL @ NJD

Players to Watch

  • Jake Evans
    Evans was selected in the seventh round in the 2014 draft and has now scored his 10th of the season. The 25-year-old has a respectable 49.6 percent success rate at the faceoff dot and has been a serviceable bottom-six centre for the Canadiens. Evans has become a fixture in the lineup in his third season with the Habs.
  • Cole Caufield
    The energetic winger put up his 17th goal of the season against the Devils, now tallying up 37 points in 56 games.  With four points in his last three games, Caufield refuses to end the season on a poor note continuing to shine in this glum year for the Canadiens.
  • Chris Wideman
    Wideman has been playing commendable defense, not only being solid on the back end but producing points. The 32-year-old has eight points in his last six games, with two goals. After bouncing around seven different teams in three different leagues, the St. Louis native appears to have found a home with a season high of 25 points in his seventh year in the NHL.

Keys to Victory

  • Shut down top performers
    The Maple Leafs are second in the league in scoring. Shutting down the red hot Auston Matthews and company will be necessary to finding success.
  • Limit shots
    In their previous matchup, the Canadiens were flustered when they were presented with 51 shots against. They need to help the goaltender by playing stellar defense and shutting down the offensive fire-power from the Leafs.
  • Be disciplined
    The Leafs currently are the number one power-play in the NHL. Avoiding penalties and cleanly exiting the defensive zone will be necessary.
Statistical Matchup for Game 72
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON | April 9, 7:00 PM ET | TV: CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP, ESPN+

2021-22  statistics
MAPLE LEAFS CANADIENS
98 (4th) Points (rank) 51 (31st)
46-19-6 Record 20-40-11
W1 Streak W1
7-2-1 Last 10 4-4-2
3.83 (2nd) GF/G (rank) 2.61 (27th)
3.07 (17th) GA/G (rank) 3.80 (32nd)
30.2 (1st) PP% (rank) 13.7 (30th)
83.2 (7th) PK%  (rank) 74.2 (29th)
55.0  Faceoff % 48.5
Pre-game Quotes
Martin St. Louis

  • “Tonight is a game where we will have to show improvement if we want to be in the game.”
Projected Forwards, Defense and Goaltenders (subject to change)
Forwards
Bunting – Matthews – Marner
Mikheyev – Tavares – Kerfoot
Nylander – Kampf – Engvall
Abruzzese – Blackwell – Simmonds		 Caufield – Suzuki – R. Pitlick
Hoffman – Evans – Anderson
Armia – Dvorak – Gallagher
Pezzetta – Dauphin – T. Pitlick
Defensemen
Rielly – Lyubushkin
Muzzin – Brodie
Giordano – Holl		  Romanov – Savard
Edmundson – Petry
Harris – Wideman
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Spezza, Liljegren
Injured: Mrazek, Kase, Sandin		 Scratched: Lagesson, Perreault, Ylonen, Clague, Schueneman
Injured: Poehling (undisclosed), Byron (undisclosed), Barron (lower-body), Drouin (upper-body), Price (knee), Weber (multiple injuries)
Goalies
Erik Kallgren Jake Allen
Record: 4-2-1
GAA: 2.90
Sv%: .902
SO: 1
Alternate: Jack Campbell		 Record: 9-20-4
GAA: 3.29
Sv%: .904
SO: 2
Alternate: Sam Montembeault
 Game Expectations
After being upset by the Canadiens at the Bell Centre, March 26th, the Leafs will be looking for retribution at home. Auston Matthews hasn’t been pointless in 15 games, so the Habs will have to watch out for the expected Rocket Richard trophy winner and play lights out hockey.

Bottom Line

The Canadiens will be looking to close out the regular season series against the their historic rival on a positive note going 3-1.
 Video Highlights

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