Leafs vs. Habs Game 3 Preview: Call And Response

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Montreal Canadiens: Game 3

Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Bell Centre
Channel: CBC

The Leafs did it for Johnny with Saturday’s decisive victory in Scotiabank Arena. Now it’s on to Québec to meet the Habs on their home turf.

Can they keep winning for long enough to get Tavares back in the lineup? If anyone can help make Jason Spezza’s hope a reality, it may be Spezza himself. That gorgeous wrist shot got him his first Round 1 goal on Saturday, and you just know there’s more where that came from. Watch this space.

Does it help that Tavares is there in spirit? I’m betting it does.

Zach Bogosian said John Tavares hasn't been in the rink with #Leafs since getting hurt, but has remained active on the team's group chat:

"He's been giving us words of encouragement."

— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 23, 2021

Toronto Maple Leafs

Forwards

Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
Alex Galchenyuk - Nick Foligno - William Nylander
Pierre Engvall - Alex Kerfoot - Ilya Mikheyev
Joe Thornton - Jason Spezza - Wayne Simmonds

Defence

Morgan Rielly - T.J. Brodie
Jake Muzzin - Justin Holl
Rasmus Sandin - Zach Bogosian

Goalies

Jack Campbell
Frederik Andersen

You expect scoring from Matthews, but his physical play on Saturday may have been more inspiring than his game-winning goal. The Leafs will need every bit of his ability to weather the loss of their captain, so they have to be enthused by the way he led the team in Game 2. Nylander’s two points and Sandin’s first playoffs goal make them players to watch as well.

Meanwhile, Campbell’s first Stanley Cup playoffs W demonstrated that he can win a goalie battle with Price. Can he deliver on the road?

Nash was on the ice at morning skate and playing in Foligno’s second-line-center spot. Foligno was nowhere in sight. Watch this space.

Montreal Canadiens

Forwards

Paul Byron - Phillip Danault - Josh Anderson
Tyler Toffoli - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Brendan Gallagher
Joel Armia - Nick Suzuki - Cole Caufield
Artturi Lehkonen - Tomas Tatar - Corey Perry

Defence

Ben Chiarot - Shea Weber
Joel Edmundson - Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak - Jon Merrill

Goalies

Carey Price
Jake Allen

The Habs will bring in super-rookie Caufield for his playoffs debut tonight. Tatar, who did not register a single shot on goal during the first two games of Round 1, will draw in for the injured Staal.

Kotkaniemi was the only Hab to get the puck past Soupy in Game 2. Can Toffoli provide the offensive boost Montreal needs? His point-per-game playoffs pace does not yet include an actual goal. Keep an eye on how he performs for the home crowd.

Go Spezzas Campbells Leafs.