Toronto at Montréal: preseason

Time: 7:30 pm Eastern Time

Location: Centre Bell, Montréal

Broadcast/Streaming: RDS, TSN4

Okay, now we’re talking about a real test.

Mike Babcock said after the last game that tonight and for the Saturday game in Detroit he would be icing a Leafs-looking lineup.  Hamilton fans tomorrow night get a Marlies game.

He was also more positive than usual after the game out in Saskatoon.  He is still seeing the lack of shooting from the younger forwards with too much perimeter play, but he (and I) liked the way the defence played. My main criticism of the team was that they had lost some assertiveness on the breakout.  They were dithering too much in their own end and giving the other team too many opportunities to take control of the neutral zone.

In goal tonight for the Leafs is their starter Frederik Andersen, who is expected to play the full game, and repeat that on Saturday.  Jhonas Enroth is the backup, and he is expected to start Friday in Hamilton.  Andersen played two good periods in the last game where he saw very light action and gave up one goal on a Senators’ power play.

He is not a puck-freezing goalie.  He kicks it out to the corners, and the Leafs were not utilizing that effectively; yet another thing that will come with time as they all figure each other out.  This year is going to be a bumpy ride!

Toronto Maple Leafs

From Kristen Shilton, order is my best guess.

Forward Lines

18 Milan Michalek - 43 Nazem Kadri - 47 Leo Komarov

15 Matt Martin - 34 Auston Matthews - 16 Mitch Marner

21 James van Riemsdyk - 29 William Nylander - 11 Zach Hyman

12 Connor Brown - 33 Frederik Gauthier - 28 Kasperi Kapanen

Extra forwards in the group:

36 Kerby Rychel

63 Colin Smith

Defence Pairings

2 Matt Hunwick - 22 Nikita Zaitsev

52 Martin Marincin - 44 Morgan Rielly

51 Jake Gardiner - 8 Connor Carrick

Extra Defenders in the group:

55 Viktor Loov

73 Nikolas Brouillard

77 Raman Hrabarenka

Goaltenders

31 Frederik Andersen

35 Jhonas Enroth

Montréal Canadiens

From John Lu.

Forward Lines

Andrighetto-Galchenyuk-Gallagher

Lehkonen-Plekanec-Radulov

Carr-Desharnais-Shaw

Danault-Mitchell-McCarron

Defence Pairings

Beaulieu - Weber

Markov - Petry

Emelin - Sergachev

Goaltenders

Price

Montoya

Max Pacioretty is out with the flu, but other than that the Leafs will see nearly the full Canadiens lineup. It’s not certain that Mikhail Sergachev, their 2016 draft pick, will stick past his nine games, but he’s making a good case for it so far.

Tyler Bozak is hurt, not enough to miss practice, but it was enough to keep him out of the Saskatoon game, and this one, giving us a chance to see Nylander at centre again and Matthews with Marner.

Even with a real lineup tonight, the appeal of exhibition games is waning, but for now, Go Leafs Go!