{allcanada} Maple Leafs 'devastated' after Game 7 loss to Canadiens

 

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Sheldon Keefe didn't have the words.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had just lost 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup First Round. Inside the locker room, the shock of losing a best-of-7 series they once led 3-1 was tough to process.

"Our guys were devastated after the game," the Toronto coach said. "So I chose not to speak to the group after."

In retrospect, what could he have said that hasn't been said for the past five seasons?

Since 2016-17, the Maple Leafs, with a core of Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs each season and failed to win a series. Each time, the season ended with a gloomy locker room with players wondering what happened.

It was the same story Monday.

"I thought as a group we were confident going into games, and I don't think it had anything to do with our preparation," Rielly said. "But obviously there have to be answers."

Right now, Rielly and the Maple Leafs don't have any. Only questions.

For example, after going up 3-1 in the series with a 4-0 win in Game 4, what happened that they did not hold the lead in any game?

How is it that they are 0-8 in potential series-winning games since last advancing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2004?

And the hottest question among disgruntled Maple Leafs fans: What happened to Matthews and Marner?

Matthews scored once in the series after leading the NHL with 41 goals in the regular season. Marner didn't score any, extending his postseason goal drought to 18 games.

Marner accepted blame. He said his line with Matthews and Zach Hyman had plenty of chances in each of the seven games. The bottom line: They didn't finish.

"Especially come playoff time, you want to be the guy to go to and get the team out of the series," Marner said. "Multiple looks every single game, and it seems like it just wasn't going in.

"Really no excuse. You want that puck to go into the net."

It didn't for Toronto's top line, unlike in the regular season, when Marner finished fourth in the NHL with 67 points (20 goals, 47 assists) in 55 games and Matthews was fifth with 66 points (41 goals, 25 assists) in 52 games.

"It's a game of inches," Matthews said. "We were unable to capitalize. And obviously we're out there to capitalize."

On a night of emotions, no one showed more than Jack Campbell. The goalie, fighting tears, blamed himself as he often does, this time for the goal by Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher that opened the scoring at 3:02 of the second period.

It was a shot along the ice that Campbell normally stops. This time, it went between his legs.

"Worst goal of my career came in Game 7," Campbell said. "That's unacceptable."

Of the question marks the Maple Leafs face in the offseason, Campbell isn't one of them. With goalie Frederik Andersen a pending unrestricted free agent and not expected to be back, Campbell is likely going to be the No. 1 goalie next season.

Hyman, defenseman Zach Bogosian and forwards Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza, Alex Galchenyuk and Nick Foligno are among the other Maple Leafs who can become unrestricted free agents. Toronto is expected to attempt to re-sign Hyman; the futures of the rest remain cloudy. Whether Thornton and Spezza choose to retire remains to be seen.

The Maple Leafs weren't looking that far ahead after Game 7 though.

Asked what players were talking about in the locker room, Matthews put things in perspective.

"There wasn't really much to be said," he replied.

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{allcanada} Price steady again for Canadiens in Game 7 win against Maple Leafs

 

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Carey Price had just played what arguably was his finest game of the season, but after the Montreal Canadiens had completed their series comeback to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Stanley Cup First Round, the goalie wasn't going to make it about himself.

"This is the best team game that we've played this season," Price said following a 3-1 win in Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

Price made 30 saves, his shutout broken by William Nylander with 1:36 to play, as the No. 4 seed Canadiens stunned the No. 1 seed Maple Leafs with their third straight elimination-game victory after winning Games 5 and 6 in overtime.

Price finished the series with a .932 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average. With the Canadiens season on the brink, Price had a 1.83 GAA and .945 save percentage in Games 5-7.

In victory, the 33-year-old was as economical with words as he was yielding goals to his opponent, typically deflecting praise to the skaters in front of him. Price gave high marks to his defense and the way his teammates generally threw a checking blanket over Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews and playmaker Mitchell Marner.

Matthews, whose 41 regular-season goals won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal-scorer, had just one on 32 shots in the series while Marner had just four assists.

"It's playoff hockey," Price said. "Just try to keep playing them tight and they did a great job all series."

Of his defense:

"They're warriors, those guys. They're big and mean, poised with the puck and they do an excellent job."

If Price wasn't going to talk about his work, a huge reason why the Canadiens advanced, forward Brendan Gallagher was happy to speak up.

"That's Carey," Gallagher said of Price's calm, almost sleepy demeanor following the win, very much in keeping with how the goalie carries himself win or lose. "He's played in so many big games. We gave him one goal and we almost knew it would be enough.

"I can't tell you what it's like playing in front of him. It's just so easy playing in front of him because you know he's there to bail you out. ... It's a different level of confidence when you have 'Pricey' back there, especially in these elimination games. He's the best I've ever seen."

Price was one of the question marks going into the first round, having endured a difficult season with injuries. A lower-body injury caused him to miss six games from April 7-16, and in his second game back on April 19, he sustained a concussion that kept him out the final 13 games of the regular season.

As a result, Price played in 25 games this season, going 12-7-5 with a 2.64 GAA, .901 save percentage and one shutout.

But the 14-season veteran was ready for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and entering Game 7, Canadiens forward Eric Staal suggested there was something to be said about Price having worked his way into the heads of frustrated Maple Leafs shooters.

"I think there's probably times when there's moments of that," Staal said. "I know playing in front of that, the feeling of knowing he's going to be there, it's a great feeling.

"[The Maple Leafs] have good players, and when you have somebody like Carey back in there, it's huge. I love the way he prepares for a game. I've been here with him this season, and just seeing how he prepares and how he carries himself, it goes a long way with the team."

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{allcanada} Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round schedule

 

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Here are the series-by-series schedules for the second round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stanley Cup Second Round consists of four best-of-7 series, all played within the four divisions: MassMutual East, Discover Central, Honda West and Scotia North.

All times listed are ET and subject to change.

 

MASSMUTUAL EAST DIVISION

 

Boston Bruins (3) vs. New York Islanders (4)

(Bruins lead 1-0)

Game 1: Bruins 5, Islanders 2

Monday, May 31, 7:30 p.m.: Islanders at Bruins | NBCSN, SN1, TVAS

Thursday, June 3, 7:30 p.m.: Bruins at Islanders | NBCSN, CBC, TVAS

Saturday, June 5, 7:15 p.m.: Bruins at Islanders | NBC, SN, CBC, TVAS

*Monday, June 7, TBD: Islanders at Bruins | TBD

*Wednesday, June 9, TBD: Bruins at Islanders | TBD

*Friday, June 11, TBD: Islanders at Bruins | TBD

 

DISCOVER CENTRAL DIVISION

 

Carolina Hurricanes (1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3)

(Lightning lead 1-0)

Game 1: Lightning 2, Hurricanes 1

Tuesday, June 1, 7:30 p.m.: Lightning at Hurricanes | NBCSN, SN, TVAS

Thursday, June 3, 8 p.m.: Hurricanes at Lightning | USA, SN, TVAS

Saturday, June 5, 4 p.m.: Hurricanes at Lightning | USA, SN, TVAS

*Tuesday, June 8, TBD: Lightning at Hurricanes | TBD

*Thursday, June 10, TBD: Hurricanes at Lightning | TBD

*Saturday, June 12, TBD: Lightning at Hurricanes | TBD

 

HONDA WEST DIVISION

 

Colorado Avalanche (1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (2)

(Avalanche lead 1-0)

Game 1: Avalanche 7, Golden Knights 1

Wednesday, June 2, 10 p.m.: Golden Knights at Avalanche | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Friday, June 4, 10 p.m.: Avalanche at Golden Knights | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Sunday, June 6, 8:30 p.m.: Avalanche at Golden Knights | NBCSN, SN, TVAS

*Tuesday, June 8, TBD: Golden Knights at Avalanche | TBD

*Thursday, June 10, TBD: Avalanche at Golden Knights | TBD

*Saturday, June 12, TBD: Golden Knights at Avalanche | TBD

 

SCOTIA NORTH DIVISION

 

Winnipeg Jets (3) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4)

Wednesday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.: Canadiens at Jets | NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS

Friday, June 4, 7:30 p.m.: Canadiens at Jets | USA, SN, CBC, TVAS

Sunday, June 6, 6 p.m.: Jets at Canadiens | NBCSN, SN, TVAS

Monday, June 7, TBD: Jets at Canadiens | TBD

*Wednesday, June 9, TBD: Canadiens at Jets | TBD

*Friday, June 11, TBD: Jets at Canadiens | TBD

*Sunday, June 13, TBD: Canadiens at Jets | TBD

 

* if necessary

TBD - To Be Determined

 

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{allcanada} Jets will play Canadiens in Stanley Cup Second Round

 

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The Winnipeg Jets will play the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Second Round.

Winnipeg, the No. 3 seed in the Scotia North Division, swept the Edmonton Oilers, the No. 2 seed, in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Our program, in terms of how we want to play, isn't going to change and isn't dependent on the opponent ...," Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said last week. "Away from the players, we're just kind of running whatever program we run to prescout a team, we're just doing it twice. We're looking at both teams (Toronto and Montreal) very closely. As soon as this is decided, we'll work back from the day of Game 1, we'll work back in terms of video and what we do on the ice."

The Canadiens, the No. 4 seed, defeated the No. 1 seed Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 7 on Monday to end that best-of-7 series with three straight wins.

"We won a series. We're happy about that. But we want more," Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme said. "So after tonight, you need to turn the page. We'll take all the good [things] that made us have success and bring that to the next one. It's not a time to celebrate for a few days. We enjoy it tonight and then we'll be preparing tomorrow."

Game 1 of the second round is at Winnipeg on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, CBC, TVAS). The Jets have not played since May 24, when they won their third overtime game in six days.

"Certainly, after the overtime games and the final game to go to triple overtime, we'll enjoy our rest and get back to work here and be ready to go," Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey said. "So, certainly, I'd rather have more rest than no time off at all, and we're going to try to use it to our advantage here."

Blake Wheeler (two goals, three assists) and Mark Scheifele (two goals, three assists) lead the Jets with five points each this postseason. Connor Hellebuyck is 4-0 with a 1.60 goals-against average, a .950 save percentage and one shutout.

"We're not coming to the rink thinking, 'We just dominated the Edmonton Oilers,'" Maurice said. "We scratched and clawed to be one goal better in each game and found a way to do it. But you get to carry that with you."

Tyler Toffoli leads the Canadiens with five points (two goals, three assists) this postseason, and Joel Armia (two goals, two assists), Corey Perry (two goals, two assists), Eric Staal (four assists) and Nick Suzuki (two goals, two assists) each has scored four points. Carey Price was 4-3 with a 2.24 GAA and .932 save percentage.

The Jets won six of nine games against the Canadiens this season. Kyle Connor led Winnipeg with 10 points (six goals, four assists), Nikolaj Ehlers scored nine points (four goals, five assists), and Paul Stastny scored five goals. Hellebuyck started each game and had a 2.67 GAA, a .916 save percentage and one shutout. Laurent Brossoit allowed three goals on nine shots in relief in a 7-1 loss March 6.

Toffoli led Montreal with nine points (six goals, three assists) against Winnipeg. Suzuki (three goals, four assists) and Tomas Tatar (one goal, six assists) each scored seven points. Price was 2-1-1 with a 3.01 GAA and .903 save percentage. Jake Allen was 1-2-2 with a 3.36 GAA and an .860 save percentage.

"We've seen them so many times throughout the year that you kind of understand how they play, the tendencies and whatnot," Winnipeg forward Andrew Copp said. "... I think playoffs always change the game a little bit, just like you saw with us and Edmonton. I think you saw less off the rush than you would see in a normal regular-season game, and it's a little bit tighter checking, more attention to detail, like I said. But I think you kind of expect that. I think you're just kind of bouncing around different things."

Winnipeg has never played Montreal in the playoffs.

"I've been watching pretty close, I'd say," Copp said. "And maybe last night I watched differently than I did maybe Game 1 or Game 2, just based on you know that you're playing the winner and maybe there's some things that you're concentrating on. It's not like I'm watching details and writing notes down. It's just kind of general things that they do, or maybe little habits that each player has. ... Your mind kind of jumps around from topic to topic when you're watching the game. But I think there's definitely a little bit more of an eye on it now that we know we're playing the winner of it."

The Jets advanced to the second round for the first time since 2018, when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the Western Conference Final.

"Three years ago we were, you look at the makeup of our team and across the League, there was a belief we were going to make a big run," Copp said. "We finished second in the League in points that year (to the Nashville Predators). We were kind of expected to move on. This time I think there was a little bit less of that from the outside. I still think the belief in our room was still very high, a lot of belief in each other in the type of game we could play and get to. I don't know if there is much of a difference in the feeling inside the room because we believed in ourselves and we believed we could definitely make a run at this thing. I don't know if it's any different inside the room, but I'm sure outside the room the perspective is a little different."

Montreal had not reached the second round since 2015, one season after it lost the Eastern Conference Final to the New York Rangers.

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{allcanada} Price has 29 saves, Canadiens top Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 7

 

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TORONTO (AP) Carey Price made 29 saves and the Montreal Canadiens advanced to the second round by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in Game 7 on Monday night.

Brendan Gallagher, Corey Perry and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Canadiens, who stormed back from a 3-1 deficit for the third time in franchise history to win a series. Eric Staal had two assists for Montreal, which advanced to the second round for the first time since 2015.

The Canadiens will take on Winnipeg after the Jets swept Edmonton in the Canadian-based North Division's other series. Game 1 is Wednesday at Winnipeg.

William Nylander had a late goal and Jack Campbell stopped 20 shots for Toronto, which hasn't advanced in the postseason since 2004. The Maple Leafs appeared in control of this series while taking a 3-1 lead, but Montreal forced a deciding Game 7 by winning two in a row in overtime.

Montreal opened the scoring at 3:02 of the second on a sequence that started with a turnover by Mitch Marner at the offensive blue line. The Canadiens headed the other way and Gallagher scored his first goal since April 1 after missing six weeks with a broken thumb.

The Maple Leafs nearly tied it moments later when Price stopped Zach Hyman in tight before Auston Matthews ripped a shot off the post on a 2-on-1.

But the Canadiens went up by two at 15:25 when Nick Suzuki's shot on a power play went off Perry in front for his second goal in as many games. It was Montreal's third goal with the man advantage in two games after going 0 for 15 to start the series.

The Leafs, who finished 18 points ahead of the Canadiens in the regular season and haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967, got a power play to start the third. But Price denied Hyman on a redirect at the side of the goal.

Toronto pulled Campbell with 3:35 left, but Toffoli scored into an empty net just over a minute later.

Nylander added team-high fifth of the series with 1:36 to end Price's shutout bid.

INJURIES

Already without captain John Tavares (concussion, knee), the Maple Leafs also had to play without defenseman Jake Muzzin (suspected groin injury) after he left Saturday in the first period.

NOTES: Toronto lost a Game 7 on home ice for just the second time in their history - Wayne Gretzky's 1993 Los Angeles Kings were the other club to pull off the feat - as Toronto fell to 11-2 all-time when leading a series 3-1. ... The Canadiens, who hadn't faced the Leafs in the playoffs since 1979, lost the only other Game 7 between the teams in 1964 when Dave Keon's hat trick led Toronto to a 3-1 victory at the Montreal Forum. ... The Leafs' last series win - and the last Game 7 played between Canadian teams - was 17 years ago, 6,250 days to be exact, against Ottawa in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. ... Toronto has lost seven straight postseason series and dropped eight straight games in which it could have eliminated an opponent.

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{allcanada} Jets sign forward Jeff Malott to one-year, two-way contract

 

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The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with forward Jeff Malott. His deal will carry an average-annual value of $780,000.

#NHLJets have agreed to terms with forward Jeff Malott on a one-year, two-way contract for 2021-22 with an average annual value in the NHL of $780,000.

DETAILS https://t.co/aovDQOiueU pic.twitter.com/c3lfOd6buX

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 31, 2021

Malott, 24, made his professional debut this past season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, leading the team with 14 goals — tied for second among AHL rookies — while adding six assists for 20 points in 34 games.

The native of Burlington, Ont., previously spent a four-year college career at Cornell University where he posted 24 goals and 29 assists in 114 games.

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{allcanada} Argos bring back QB Bethel-Thompson

 

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The Toronto Argonauts announced Monday that they have signed American QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

The 32-year-old most recently played for the Aviators of The Spring League in 2020. In three games, he threw for nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns.

In 2019, he led the CFL in touchdown passes with 26 in 13 starts, while completing 335 passes for 4,024 yards, with both marks being third best in the league. He joined Toronto in 2017 and helped the organization win its 17th Grey Cup that same year.

"I am very excited at the prospect of the CFL being back this year and I cannot wait to continue to pursue my passion in one of the greatest cities in the world," said Bethel-Thompson. "I look forward to playing my role as quarterback by making each and every teammate around me better."

Prior to his time in the CFL, Bethel-Thompson had nine NFL stints with five different teams between 2011 and 2016, suiting up for San Francisco (three times), Miami (twice), Minnesota (twice), New England and Philadelphia.

He also played with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League and was on the practice roster of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before his move to the Argos.

"McLeod brings veteran and locker room leadership to our ball club, as well as the ability to play quarterback at a high level," said Argonauts head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. " He makes us a better football team and I am excited for him to rejoin the team this year."

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{allcanada} Muzzin out at least three weeks for Maple Leafs with lower-body injury

 

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Jake Muzzin will be out at least three weeks for the Toronto Maple Leafs because of a lower-body injury.

The defenseman left a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup First Round on Saturday during the second period.

Toronto will host Montreal in Game 7 of the series Monday (7 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, SN, TVAS). The winner will play the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup Second Round.

Muzzin has scored three points (two goals, one assist) and is averaging 19:30 of ice time in six games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He leads Maple Leafs defensemen with 16 hits and his 11 blocked shots are second to Morgan Rielly (13).

Muzzin scored 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) and averaged 21:35 in ice time in 53 games in the regular season and led Toronto with 101 hits and 94 blocked shots.

Rasmus Sandin, who was scratched in Game 6, will replace Muzzin in the lineup. He has one goal in four playoff games.

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{allcanada} Ontario allows 550 vaccinated healthcare workers to attend Game 7

 

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TORONTO — Ontario has given the green light for 550 fully vaccinated health-care workers to attend Monday night's Game 7 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the visiting Montreal Canadiens in their first-round playoff series.

Premier Doug Ford's office says the front-line workers received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine more than two weeks ago and will go through screening and other precautionary measures.

The province says the crowd will be "well below" capacity for 19,800-seat Scotiabank Arena.

Some 2,500 people were in the stands in Montreal when the two teams last clashed on Saturday. That was the first crowd for a game in Canada this year.

"I wish I could have 2,500, but the docs said 550. We'll take that," Ford said.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Maple Leafs' ownership group, is covering the cost for the 550 health-care workers to attend. Ford said in a statement Scotiabank will provide jerseys for the workers.

"It's been a long time coming," Leafs forward Joe Thornton said. "A lot of vaccinations have been rolling out. Can't wait for more people to start coming to this building. It's going to be fun to play in front of, I know it's only 500, but hopefully we'll build off this and continue to get more people going forward."

Leafs forward Jason Spezza was looking forward to the support.

"I think it's just a great sign for where we're headed as a society. I think it's a great way to recognize the health-care workers for all the hard work they've done to get us to this point where they're allowed to come in," he said. "And then as players, obviously we enjoy playing in front of people."

Toronto has lost six post-season series in a row since beating the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the NHL playoffs in 2004. The underdog Habs have won two consecutive overtime games to set the stage for Game 7.

The lone previous Game 7 between the Original Six rivals came in 1964 when Dave Keon had a hat trick to lead Toronto to a 3-1 win at the Montreal Forum.

Toronto has lost seven straight contests where it could have eliminated an opponent. That includes six since 2018 with the core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

The Canadiens finished 18 points behind the first-place Leafs in this year's 56-game campaign. The winner of the series faces the Winnipeg Jets in the North Division final, which will start Wednesday.

The Leafs got a moral boost earlier Monday when captain John Tavares took part in an optional skate. He suffered a concussion and a knee injury in a scary collision in Game 1 and was stretchered off the ice.

"We all know how hard John works and how much he cares," Spezza said. "By us winning this game tonight, it gives him a chance to potentially come back and play."

Meanwhile, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said defenceman Jake Muzzin is expected to miss three weeks with a lower-body injury suffered Saturday in Game 6.

Puck drop for the decisive game of the Maple Leafs–Montreal Canadiens first-round series is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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{allcanada} 3 Keys: Canadiens at Maple Leafs, Game 7 of first round

 

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No. 4 Canadiens at No. 1 Maple Leafs 

7 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, SN, TVAS

Best-of-7 series tied, 3-3

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens will play Game 7 of their Stanley Cup First Round series at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

The Maple Leafs have not won a postseason series since 2004 and have lost three consecutive Game 7s dating to 2013. Their last playoff series win came in 2004 when they defeated the Ottawa Senators in seven games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Toronto forward Jason Spezza said the team has not lost its enthusiasm after two consecutive overtime losses forced Game 7.

"As kids we've all been through this scenario on our driveways playing road hockey, in our basements playing mini-sticks," Spezza said. "These are the moments you dream of. And now to be able to live it out, it's exciting."

The Canadiens won their most recent Game 7, a 3-1 victory against the Boston Bruins in the 2014 Eastern Conference Second Round.

"We'll approach it like we have every other night and see where it goes," Montreal forward Eric Staal said. "And then go on from there."

Toronto is 12-12 all-time in Game 7, including 7-1 at home; Montreal is 14-9, including 6-6 on the road.

The winner will play the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup Second Round.

Here are 3 keys for Game 7:

 

1. Replacing Muzzin

Defenseman Jake Muzzin will be out at least three weeks with a lower-body injury sustained in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 6. Muzzin is the Maple Leafs most physical defenseman, so expect the Canadiens, led by forwards Corey Perry and Brendan Gallagher, to plow their way to the front of the net. Rasmus Sandin, who had a bad giveaway in Toronto's 4-3 overtime loss in Game 5, will draw into the lineup. Don't be surprised if veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian plays an increased role with Muzzin out.

 

2. Canadiens seek another fast start

Quick starts have been key in each of the Canadiens past two victories. In Game 5, they built a two-goal lead midway through the first period on two goals by forward Joel Armia. In Game 6, they came out flying and outshot the Maple Leafs 7-0 in the first three minutes. Establishing early momentum again will be vital in a Game 7 against a Toronto team that was the overwhelming pre-series favorite and might start feeling the pressure early on if things don't go its way.

"We're dynamic, we're moving, we're on the puck and we're playing fast as a team and that doesn't always mean it's the skating, it's the way we think," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. "We want to have a good start again tonight. There are a few key points on that that makes us have good starts and we want to make sure we apply those."

 

3. Enjoy the moment

Although the Maple Leafs are 0-6 in series-clinching games since 2018, there are reasons for optimism. Captain John Tavares, who sustained a knee injury and concussion May 20, won't return but his appearance on the ice at Toronto's optional morning skate was a source of inspiration. The teams will be playing in front of 550 healthcare and frontline workers, the first fans to watch an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena in 14 months.

"Clear your mind," Maple Leafs veteran forward Joe Thornton said. "You've got to enjoy the moment and leave it all out on the ice every shift. It starts with the puck drop and ends when that whistle blows. It's going to be a real fun night for us."

 

Canadiens projected lineup

Jake Evans - Phillip Danault -- Brendan Gallagher

Tyler Toffoli -- Nick Suzuki -- Cole Caufield

Paul Byron -- Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Josh Anderson

Joel Armia -- Eric Staal -- Corey Perry

Joel Edmundson -- Jeff Petry

Ben Chiarot -- Shea Weber

Brett Kulak -- Erik Gustafsson

Carey Price

Jake Allen

Scratched: Tomas Tatar, Michael Frolik, Alex Belzile, Jon Merrill, , Alexander Romanov, Xavier Ouellet, Cayden Primeau

Injured: Artturi Lehkonen (upper body)

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- Mitchell Marner

Alex Galchenyuk -- Nick Foligno -- William Nylander

Ilya Mikheyev -- Alexander Kerfoot -- Wayne Simmonds

Joe Thornton -- Pierre Engvall -- Jason Spezza

Morgan Rielly -- TJ Brodie

Travis Dermott -- Justin Holl

Rasmus Sandin -- Zach Bogosian

Jack Campbell

Frederik Andersen

Scratched: Riley Nash, Adam Brooks, Denis Malgin, Martin Marincin, David Rittich, Michael Hutchinson

Injured: John Tavares (concussion/knee), Ben Hutton (illness), Jake Muzzin (lower body)

 

Status report

The Canadiens are expected to use the same lineup as they did in Game 6, Ducharme said. … Dermott likely will move up to the second pairing with Holl.

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{allcanada} Canadiens confident heading into Game 7 against Maple Leafs

 

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The Montreal Canadiens are relishing an unexpected opportunity to eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Having survived consecutive elimination games with overtime victories, the Canadiens will face the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Monday (7 p.m. ET, CNBC, CBC, SN, TVAS), with the winner advancing to meet the Winnipeg Jets in the second round.

"We have confidence. We're going to Toronto so we can go to Winnipeg," Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme said Sunday, 12 hours after his team defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime of Game 6. "It's a group of 20 players pushing in the same direction to achieve something that many believe is impossible."

It is no longer impossible.

The Canadiens, a heavy underdog at the start of the series as the No. 4 seed from the Scotia North Division, have much of the momentum heading into the second Game 7 in the rich history of this rivalry.

Montreal was able to recover after blowing a three-goal lead in Game 5 and a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 6, when it became the first team in NHL history to surrender a multigoal third-period lead in consecutive playoff games when facing elimination and win each of them.

Toronto's best defenseman, Jake Muzzin, is questionable after sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 6, and its two biggest offensive players have found it hard to gain traction in this series.

Auston Matthews has scored four points (one goal, three assists) through six games and Mitchell Marner has four assists. During the regular season, Matthews led the NHL with 41 goals in 52 games, and Marner was fourth in the League with 67 points (20 goals, 47 assists) in 55 games.

Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell will be playing in his seventh NHL playoff game, all in this series. Carey Price of the Canadiens will make his 74th playoff start and fourth in a Game 7; he is 2-1 with a 1.62 goals-against average and .944 save percentage in the previous three.

Also for the Canadiens is captain Shea Weber, who has been among the tone-setters in helping them rally from down 3-1 in the series.

In Game 6, the 35-year-old defenseman had four shots, one hit and three blocks while playing 37:09, which wasn't merely the game high among all skaters, but also the most he had seen since he played 49:07 for the Nashville Predators in a 4-3 triple overtime win against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the 2016 Western Conference Second Round. In Weber's career, which spans 1,038 regular-season games and 81 playoff games, he's only had more ice time three times.

"You can look at the stats and power-play goals and assists, what [Weber] does on the power-play, but he brings so much more to the group," Ducharme said. "The way he plays, his presence on the ice ... for the other team, playing against Shea is not something easy. His experience and will to go further and make the most of this opportunity inspires a group."

Game 7 is an apt finish to this series between the NHL's two oldest teams, who are meeting in their 16th playoff series since 1918, and 14th in a best-of-7 format since 1944.

Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot won the only Game 7 he's played in the NHL, a 5-1 victory with the Jets against the Predators in the 2018 Western Conference Second Round. He's eager for his second.

"The most fun you're ever going to have playing hockey is a Game 7," Chiarot said. "For me, the key is you play loose. A Game 7 is a high-pressure situation. Guys can tend to get tight, but I think for us it's to just stay loose, just play the game and enjoy it."

This will be the 24th time since 1941 that the Canadiens have played a Game 7 (14-9 overall, 6-6 on the road). Their most recent was a 3-1 victory against the Boston Bruins in the 2014 Eastern Conference Second Round.

The Maple Leafs are heading into their 25th Game 7 since 1941 (12-12 overall, 7-1 at home). Their most recent was also against the Bruins, losing 5-1 in the 2019 Eastern Conference First Round.

But with the season on the line, Toronto has history between these teams on its side, even after consecutive losses.

The only other time the Maple Leafs and Canadiens played a Game 7 was at the Montreal Forum in the 1964 semifinals, when Toronto legend Dave Keon scored a hat trick in a 3-1 victory. It would precede Toronto's third consecutive Stanley Cup championship, won in a seven-game Final against the Detroit Red Wings.

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