The Toronto Maple Leafs hope for a speedy reversal of fortune when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night to kick off a six-game road trip in their second clash of the season against their Atlantic Division rival.
Toronto is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets that Adam Fantilli sealed with a dash down the wing and a shot over the pad of goaltender Joseph Woll. The Leafs have lost six of their last seven, though their last four games were all decided by one goal.
“You can’t get negative or down in this situation,” said forward Scott Laughton, who returned after missing five games with an injury. “You continue to roll, you continue to go and keep playing together and good things are going to happen if we continue to manage the puck, make it hard on teams to come out of the zone.”
Even with Laughton’s return, the Leafs’ lineup remains ravaged by injury.
The absence of Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, who have lower-body injuries, leaves a gaping hole in Toronto’s forward corps. John Tavares has risen to the occasion, notching six points in his last four games.
At the back end, Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo both remain on injured reserve. The situation is no sturdier between the posts. In a reversal of circumstances from the early season, it is Woll who has assumed starter’s duties with Anthony Stolarz sidelined.
“We just stick to our process and we know we’ve been successful in the past and we know that our process works,” Woll said after a 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
Center Nicolas Roy could also miss his third consecutive game after being placed on IR on Thursday.
After a bright start to the season, the Canadiens have not fared much better of late.
Their last outing was an 8-4 drubbing on Thursday at the hands of the Washington Capitals, who chased goalie Sam Montembeault with three goals on 10 shots. The Canadiens have surrendered 27 goals over a five-game losing skid.
“It’s part of growing,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I think these moments right now, it gives us an opportunity to grow from this, you know, and that’s what we intend to do.”
Similarly untimely injuries are eating through Montreal’s center depth.
Jake Evans, the most recent addition to the pile, took a powerful shoulder check from the Capitals’ Tom Wilson that sent him crumbling to the ice. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook are out long-term, which might force Oliver Kapanen and Joe Veleno into more prominent roles should Evans be ruled out against the Maple Leafs.
“I just thought it was high,” St. Louis said about Wilson’s hit on Evans. “I thought he came from a long distance and high.”
Toronto has won nine of their last 10 games against the Canadiens, including a 5-2 victory in the season opener.
–Field Level Media
