Toronto Maple Leafs (29-19-7) @ Montreal Canadiens (26-23-7)
Time: 7:00 pm ET
Watch on: CBC, SN1, NHLN, NHL.tv “Free Game”
Opponent’s site: the site that posts articles like they’re tweets

The Leafs are set to face the Montreal Canadiens for only their third time this season tonight on HNIC. Their first meeting was Michael Hutchinson’s first start this season on the back half of a the first back-to-back and the third game in. The Leafs lost in a shootout. That was Hutchinson’s best goaltending performance for a very long time.

The Leafs faced Montreal again three weeks later, on the back half of a back-to-back, and that was not a good game by Hutchinson. The Leafs lost 5-3, while Jonathan Drouin scored twice in the process.

Tonight’s game could feature Hutchinson again, the third time playing the Habs on Saturday night as a SEGABABA. The word yesterday was that Sheldon Keefe would decide, based on Jack Campbell’s performance, if he would play him again tonight. And that performance was mixed in an overtime win by the Leafs. He only had to make 26 saves and watch four go by, and if I’m betting, I’d say he’s in again.

William Nylander did not make the trip to Montreal and is not expected to play.

Maple Leafs Lines
Based on the last game

Forwards
Andreas Johnsson - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
Alexander Kerfoot - John Tavares - Zach Hyman
Kyle Clifford - Jason Spezza - Kasperi Kapanen
Frederik Gauthier - Pierre Engvall - Dmytro Timashov
Sick: William Nylander

Defense
Jake Muzzin - Justin Holl
Rasmus Sandin - Timothy Liljegren
Travis Dermott - Tyson Barrie
Scratched: Martin Marincin

Goalies - Assumed for now
Jack Campbell
Michael Hutchinson
Injured: Frederik Andersen

Montreal Canadiens Lines
Based on the last game

Jonathan Drouin has been injured since November 15th, so Habs fans have been ansty for his return. Head Coach Claude Julien had this quote yesterday at practice, which has sent multiple factions of Habs fans to either be irate at Drouin for not playing, the coach for calling him out, or everyone all at once.

The team sent noted Leafs-killer Ryan Poehling to the AHL today, so it seems like Drouin might be ready to be activated. That will be a game-time decision.

Forwards
Tomas Tatar - Phillip Danault - Brendan Gallagher
Artturi Lehkonen - Nick Suzuki - Joel Armia
Ilya Kovalchuk - Max Domi - Jake Evans
Nick Cousins - Nate Thompson - Dale Weise

Defense
Brett Kulak - Jeff Petry
Ben Chiarot - Victor Mete
Marco Scandella - Christian Folin

Goalies
Carey Price
Charlie Lindgren

Don’t expect clarity on the lineups until closer to gametime. We’ll update you if anything really exciting happens, though.

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