Canadiens @ Leafs - May 31st, 7:00pm - CBC, Fan 590

[CarltonTheBear]

@

24-21-11, 59 points | 35-14-7, 77 points
Series tied 3-3

Projected Lines

Evans-Danault-Gallagher Toffoli-Suzuki-Caufield Byron-Kotkaniemi-Anderson Armia-Staal-Perry Chiarot-Weber Edmundson-Petry Kulak-Gustafsson Price ​

Hyman-Matthews-Marner Galchenyuk-Foligno-Nylander Mikheyev-Kerfoot-Simmonds Thornton-Engvall-Spezza Rielly-Brodie Muzzin-Holl Dermott-Bogosian Campbell​

Scratches

Tomas Tatar Artturi Lehkonen Michael Frolik Alexander Romanaov Cayden Primeau ​

Adam Brooks Riley Nash Denis Malgin Rasmus Sandin        Martin Marincin Ben Hutton David Rittich​

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Game Notes

MTL
?Price will start for the Canadiens

TOR
?Campbell will start for the Leafs
?Projected lines are based off Saturday's game
?The big potential change could depend on the status of Muzzin, who left game 6 with an injury. Keefe said his status for game 7 was still undetermined
?Keefe also talked about potentially moving Foligno, who is clearly playing through an injury, down the line-up and Kerfoot back to the 2C spot
Injuries

?Jon Merrill - Undisclosed - Injured Reserve ?Artturi Lehkonen - Head - Out Thursday         ?Jonathan Drouin - Personal - Out indefinitely​

?Jake Muzzin - Lower Body - Questionable Monday ?John Tavares - Concussion - Out indefinitely​

Stream Options

BilaSport.net
Sportsurge.net
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[ZBBM]

Those injuries are a problem, but they still should be able to win this series.  Unfortunately they have now put a lot of pressure on themselves because if they blow this they will be criticized mercilessly (and deservedly).

I say they'll find a way to pull it out.  That's my storyline, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Kaberle15]

I hope for a huge win tonight.

Also hoping that Spezza move's on to the 2nd line, he is playing great and should play more.

my ideal 2nd line would be: Spezza - Kerfoot - Marner (I would put Nylander on Marner's place on the 1st line too)

Anyway, Go Leafs Go!!!

 

[4EVRLEAFAN]

I have no doubt we'll come out swinging the big question is though, Price. How well is he going to play, does he have it in him to pull off a Patrick Roy and steal this series, we will see. GO LEAFS!!

 

[herman]

Easy things to do:

1. Give Willy the puck: PP1 left half-wall, rotating with Marner on the goal line whenever the defense disrespects 16's ability to shoot (which should be always)

2. Whatever - Kerfoot - Nylander or, if daring, Whatever - Matthews - Nylander

3. Ds need to sidestep the initial forecheck layer with their feet; mix some stretch rushes in with their puck possession to stretch the MTL structure uncomfortably

4. Sweep screens in and out, instead of static screens parked on the crease top. No goalie likes moving visual obstructions. Price's numbers have spiked good because the Leafs aren't really taking away his eyes and shooting a lot for his glove, which offers much less rebound opportunity.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

5. When a ref asks "do you want to challenge this incredibly obvious good-goal that has a 0.05% chance of being overturned" say "no thanks that would be incredibly dumb because we'd just get a penalty".

 

[herman]

5. When a ref asks "do you want to challenge this incredibly obvious good-goal that has a 0.05% chance of being overturned" say "no thanks that would be incredibly dumb because we'd just get a penalty".

Was the precedent Keefe referring to that time Ducharme challenged pointlessly as well?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/l_stone/status/1399355080898383876

 

[Stronger Than All]

https://twitter.com/l_stone/status/1399355080898383876

screen them as Leafs fans! 

 

[herman]

Adding:
6. Marner: relax and just play head empty; hockey is fun and you love it, so make it fun with your buds. Embrace causing chaos because that's the source of your magic.

 

[bustaheims]

It ends tonight.

 

[Bender]

It ends tonight.

One way or the other!

 

[Stronger Than All]

I hope for a huge win tonight.

Also hoping that Spezza move's on to the 2nd line, he is playing great and should play more.

my ideal 2nd line would be: Spezza - Kerfoot - Marner (I would put Nylander on Marner's place on the 1st line too)

Anyway, Go Leafs Go!!!

if they tinker around I say put Foligno on the top line.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

if they tinker around I say put Foligno on the top line.

A fully healthy Foligno? Sure. The Foligno we saw hobbling around the ice Saturday? Love the guy but I'd much sooner put him on the 4th line.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Should be:

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Galchenyuk-Kerfoot-Nylander
Foligno-Engvall-Mikheyev
Thornton-Spezza-Simmonds

With the 4th line getting as little ice-time as possible unless Simmonds runs over 3 Habs in his first shift and Spezza getting inserted into the top-6 here and there.

 

[herman]

Is Galchenyuk confirmed to be okay after Petry shouldered his head on a skate by?

 

[rdowdall]

I know that I have been doing my best chicken little impression lately.  It's who I am as a person.  I go straight to doom.  It's a coping mechanism that I have because I want to be able to handle the worst-case scenario.  It serves me well in some areas of my life and annoys others in other aspects of my life.

All that is to say that while I have focused on the negative narrative, I do know that there is a narrative where the Leafs win tonight.  That it is possible for them to do it.  That it isn't a foregone conclusion that the Canadiens win this game tonight.  The Leafs just need to play their best.  They need to want to win this more than the Canadiens want to win this.  I am hoping that at the end of it we aren't questioning the hockey god's methods is all.  That there isn't something that happens that was completely out of the control of the team, that weird bounce, or a weird sequence of events that can't be explained. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Is Galchenyuk confirmed to be okay after Petry shouldered his head on a skate by?

I don't think Keefe or anyone in the media has mentioned his injury one way or another so I'd assume he's ok but I guess we'll see.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/dalter/status/1399369548667756550
What a lazy bum perimeter player who can't take a hit and just wants money

 

[Bullfrog]

Adding:
6. Marner: relax and just play head empty; hockey is fun and you love it, so make it fun with your buds. Embrace causing chaos because that's the source of your magic.

This. He's so good but is missing opportunities from over-thinking and hanging on to the puck too long. While his shot isn't great, it's accurate, so start putting it on the net and creating rebounds.