LGD: Here Come The Leafs
8 years ago
We / aren’t / very / optimistic / for / the Toronto Maple Leafs’s odds at success this year. We’d love to be proven wrong, but in the meantime, we’ve accepted this season as a rebuilding year where a group of players will work their behinds off, not be basement-level terrible for a bit, while building up value for a good old-fashioned asset shorting and freefall in the spring.
That’s okay. It’s part of the Shanaplan, and for the most part, we have trust in it. But I will say one thing; a win tonight would be a fantastic exception to the rule. It’s the season opener, it’s Mike Babcock’s official debut, and nobody likes the Habs. If they lose the next 81, that’s fine; but make this game count.
The Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs lines courtesy of our friends at Daily Faceoff:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 James van Riemsdyk |  Nazem Kadri |  Brad Boyes |
 Shawn Matthias |  Tyler Bozak |  Joffrey Lupul |
 Leo Komarov |  Peter Holland |  Mark Arcobello |
 Daniel Winnik |  Nick Spaling |  P.A. Parenteau |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Matt Hunwick |  Dion Phaneuf |
 Martin Marincin |  Morgan Rielly |
 Jake Gardiner |  Scott Harrington |
Not a lot of surprises here. Well, unless you read our opening night lineups, in which case, you’re absolutely floored by the forwards. Only two of us got even a single line correct (myself, with line one, and Ryan, who had the second line correct, though he had the wingers switched around and it was his third line). Big credit to Jon, though, for nailing all three defensive pairings, albeit in a jumbled order.
In goal tonight is Jonathan Bernier, a decision that Mike Babcock claims to have made quite some time ago.
The Habs
Montreal Canadiens lines courtesy of our friends at Daily Faceoff:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Max Pacioretty |  Tomas Plekanec |  Brendan Gallagher |
 Lars Eller |  Alex Galchenyuk |  Alexander Semin |
 Tomas Fleischmann |  David Desharnais |  Dale Weise |
 Brian Flynn |  Torrey Mitchell |  Devante Smith-Pelly |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Andrei Markov |  P.K. Subban |
 Alexei Emelin |  Jeff Petry |
 Nathan Beaulieu |  Tom Gilbert |
The Habs haven’t changed up much of their core from last year, and it’s hard to blame them; their weakest link might actually be head coach Michel Therrien. I’m most excited to see what Alexander Semin can do for this team, as long as he puts in a solid effort every night, which admittedly comes and goes with him.
Carey Price starts in goal. Did you really think they were going to snub the guy who won basically every award in hockey last year?
What To Watch For..
- How quickly does Babcock change these lines up? This will be their first true test, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team reacts.
- How does Tyler Bozak react to having Joffrey Lupul on the right side? I get why he’s there; he’s a right-handed, heavy shot, giving Bozie his most Kessel-like option in one regard, but does that drop in foot speed throw off the playmaking centre at all?
- How many times will we see Lou Lamoriello grimacing from the press box tonight? I’m calling 14.
Tonight’s game is on Sportsnet, and is scheduled for a 7 PM start. Factoring for pre-game ceremonies, puck drop should be just before the first pitch of tomorrow’s Blue Jays game.
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