Forward Sammy Blais will play in opposition to his former workforce as a substitute of Jacob Quillan
Article content material
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube will make one lineup change on Saturday evening in Montreal.
Advertisement 2
Article content material
Berube will gown ahead Sammy Blais as a substitute of Jacob Quillan in opposition to the Canadiens on the Bell Centre.
Article content material
Article content material
The reasoning on Berube’s half is easy.
“The physicality,” Berube advised media in Montreal whereas the Leafs had an elective morning skate. “It’s going to be a tricky sport. It’s going to be a bodily sport to a sure extent. I simply suppose he can are available right here and disrupt them somewhat bit along with his physicality. And he does make good puck performs.”
Berube could be onto one thing. The sport will mark the eighth with Toronto for Blais, claimed off waivers from the Canadiens on Oct. 6, and he has thrown his physique round with enthusiasm.
In seven video games, Blais has recorded 27 hits, good for eighth amongst Leafs. He additionally has one objective and two assists.
Your Midday Sun
Article content material
Advertisement 3
Article content material
The 29-year-old native of Montmagny, Que., may have some additional juice on Saturday evening, telling reporters that he may have 10-15 relations and associates within the stands.
Plus, Blais desires to stay it to the Canadiens after they put him on waivers in October.
“I’m actually motivated,” Blais mentioned. “Kind of somewhat extra of a chip on my shoulder tonight for positive.”
Neither the Leafs nor the Canadiens have performed sensible hockey in November. The Leafs have three out of 4 factors of their previous two video games, to take among the scuff off a file of 1-4-2 of their previous seven video games. Still, there’s so much the Leafs need to get finished earlier than they are often thought of absolutely on the trail to respectability.
With 21 factors, the Leafs went into Saturday video games within the National Hockey League in second-last place within the Eastern Conference, one level forward of the normally horrible Buffalo Sabres.
Advertisement 4
Article content material
We apologize, however this video has didn’t load.
Canadiens stumbling
The Canadiens, in the meantime, are 1-4-3 of their previous eight video games. They’re coming off an 8-4 loss at residence in opposition to Washington on Thursday and in addition aren’t in a playoff spot.
If you’re the half-full glass kind, you’ll level out that Toronto is simply three factors out of a playoff spot. That shouldn’t be a bragging level for a workforce that had a lot larger expectations when the 2025-26 season began.
Berube has seen an uptick in essential areas prior to now couple of video games, an time beyond regulation win in opposition to St. Louis on Tuesday adopted by an time beyond regulation loss in opposition to Columbus on Thursday.
“We’re defending as a five-man unit so much higher than we now have been,” Berube mentioned. “We have numbers across the puck and we’re breaking pucks out simpler, we’re not stretched out, we’re related within the zones.
Advertisement 5
Article content material
“Neutral zone, we’ve finished a fairly good job with our defending. Offensively, I believe we’ve finished a fairly good job of making possibilities.”
We apologize, however this video has didn’t load.
Joseph Woll is slated to make his fourth begin in a row as Anthony Stolarz continues to get well from an upper-body harm.
A heavy workload presumably contributed to Stolarz’s struggles earlier than he was harm on Nov. 11 throughout a sport in Boston in opposition to the Bruins.
Where is the priority that the workload is approaching a burdensome stage for Woll?
“We’re not there but,” Berube mentioned. “It’s behind my thoughts for positive. After tonight, we now have somewhat break till Columbus (to proceed the highway swing on Wednesday), in order that’s good.
“We need to handle his load for positive. In follow, it’s a giant a part of it. We talked about that final yr with Joe in practices. Just do your factor, then tone it down a bit. He can go overboard in follow. He’s hard-working man and he likes to compete.”
Read More
Injured Leafs Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies skated on Saturday morning in Montreal as they work their manner again from respective lower-body accidents.
The Leafs will return residence for a few practices earlier than heading again out on Tuesday afternoon to start out a five-game journey with stops in Columbus, Washington, Pittsburgh, Florida and Carolina.
Article content material
