Canadiens @ Leafs - Sept. 29th, 7:00pm - SN

[CarltonTheBear]

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Montreal Canadiens 0-0-0, 0 points​	@​	Toronto Maple Leafs 0-0-0, 0 points pts​

Projected Line-ups​

Kreider-Suzuki-Caufield Slafkovsky-Newhook-Demidov Texier-Danault-Dach Bolduc-Evans-Anderson Matheson-Dobson Hutson-Carrier Struble-Xhekaj Dobes​

KniesMarchenko-Matthews-Roslovic McKenna-Tavares-Nylander Cowan-Paul-Sissons Duhaime-Blueger-MacEwen McCabe-Tanev Rielly-Raddysh OEL-Stecher Bobrovsky​

Scratches​

Oliver Kapanen Florian Xhekaj Adam Engstrom​

​

Bo Groulx Nick Blankenburg​

Injuries​

Oliver Kapanen - Lower Body - Day to day Kaiden Guhle - Groin - Injured Reserve​

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Dakota Joshua - Abdomen - Injured Reserve Elvis Merzlikins - Shoulder - Injured Reserve Max Domi - Back - Injured Reserve​

Game Notes​

MTL -Jakub Dobes will likely start for the Canadiens -Montreal had a relatively quiet offseason, with their only addition to the roster coming just 2.5 weeks before the season opener when they signed Chris Kreider after his termination from the Ducks -Oliver Kapanen was expected to start the season as the teams 2nd line centre between Slafkovsky and Demidov but an injury during camp will prevent him from being healthy for game 1 of the season

TOR -Sergei Bobrovsky will likely start for the Leafs -Toronto on the other hand will see 9 players making their Leafs debut in this game after a very busy offseason. The most notable of those will of course be: 2026 1st overall pick Gavin McKenna, starting goalie Sergei Bobrosvky, and Darren Raddysh on the blue line -Oh also they traded Knies for Kirill Marchenko. Dunno where he plays

Streams​

Sportsurge OnHockey NHL66​

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2104701831008092180

I wondered about this eventuality when pushing this right down to the wire. But Dan Milstein and MLSE should have a good handle on this.

 

[Nik]

So looking at the lineup I was pleasantly surprised that I know 14 of the 19 players' first names(Assuming Sissons is Colton and Tanev is Chris and the Leafs haven't signed, like, their Nephews or something).

Mr's Paul, Duhaime, Blueger, Macewen and Stechler I look forward to getting to know you at some point.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So looking at the lineup I was pleasantly surprised that I know 14 of the 19 players' first names(Assuming Sissons is Colton and Tanev is Chris and the Leafs haven't signed, like, their Nephews or something).

Mr's Paul, Duhaime, Blueger, Macewen and Stechler I look forward to getting to know you at some point.

You very likely remember former Lightning Nick Paul:

Former sen too before that.

 

[Nik]

You very likely remember former Lightning Nick Paul:

Former sen too before that.

Sort of. I knew it probably wasn't Chris or the Leafs going after Gen Z with, like, Logan.

 

[princedpw]

I think they should consider balancing offense/defense in the top 6 a little more:

Cowan-Matthews-Nylander
McKenna-Tavares-Marchenko
Paul-Sissons-Roslovic
TheRest

 

[Zee]

Do me a solid and win tonight guys.

 

[Zee]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2104701831008092180

I wondered about this eventuality when pushing this right down to the wire. But Dan Milstein and MLSE should have a good handle on this.

But I thought Canada had open borders and was a complete hell-hole allowing all immigrants in?

 

[louisstamos]

Go Leafs Go!!!

 

[cabber24]

Last year's opening lineup:

Matthew Knies Auston Matthews Matias Maccelli
Bobby McMann John Tavares William Nylander
Dakota Joshua Max Domi Nick Robertson
Steven Lorentz Nicolas Roy Calle Järnkrok

Only 3 forwards are back! THREE! Only Knies will be missed.

That Domi line looks like -836 on paper.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Matthew Knies Auston Matthews Matias Maccelli
Bobby McMann John Tavares William Nylander
Dakota Joshua Max Domi Nick Robertson
Steven Lorentz Nicolas Roy Calle Järnkrok

Top-6 goes from Knies, McMann, and Maccelli to Marchenko, McKenna, and Roslovic.

That bottom-6 has just one player who would crack this years team (Roy).

 

[cabber24]

It feels like Joshua and Domi will never play for the Leafs again. I have a hard time believing that Joshua couldn't play on the 4th line. He had 18 goals pre-cancer scare; I would like to see him on the ice this season. Domi... there's no role for a giveaway machine that plays awful D on this team. Playoff Domi, though, has been decent.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2104935876858089536

 

[Kaberle15]

This should be a fun season to watch, would love to handle Boston the 32nd overall...

 

[Peter D.]

It's been quite the while since I have been this refreshed and excited for an upcoming Leafs season.

Will they be better and a playoff team? Who the heck knows. But I thought they underachieved last year big time and have the pieces in place to be a playoff team.

McKenna alone would make this season exciting. A new Leafs era is upon us. Throw in a stud like Marchenko now, an offensive D in Raddysh and hopefully a Bobrovsky who can turn back the clock even a bit, and we have the makings of one of the more interesting seasons to follow in recent memory.