Game Thread: Game 4 of 7 Game Roader Takes Habs To Leafland at the ACC in the big TO

[Habs n Jays Fan]

Montreal Canadiens(18-18-3) at Toronto Maple Leafs(13-17-8)

All Time Series: 330-276-88-5

Vitals:

Montreal: 98 GF(T-20th), 106 GA(T-18th), 9-9-1 Road, 24.6% PP(1st), 83.9% PK(T-8th), Habs are 7-4-1 in their last 12 Road games

Toronto: 106 GF(T-9th), 131 GA(29th), 7-8-4 Home, 19.0% PP(T-12th), 72.3% PK(30th), Leafs are 12-10-4 in games where Phil Kessel plays

Previous Meetings:
Oct. 1st- @ Tor- 4-3(OT) W
Oct. 31st- Tor- 5-4(SO) W
Dec. 1st- Tor- 3-0 L

Probable Goalies:

**EDIT**Jaroslav Halak: 9-5-0, 2.57 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 SHO
Career vs Tor: 7 GP, 5-2-0, 2.79 GAA, .915 SV%
Last Game vs Tor: 1 GP, 65 Min, 1-0-0, 3.69 GAA, .867 SV%

Jonas Gustavsson: 7-6-6, 2.85 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SHO
Career vs Mtl- 1 GP, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%, 1 SHO
Last Game vs Mtl- 1 GP, 20 Min, 1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%, 1 SHO

Players To Watch:

Montreal- Tomas Plekanec
Season- 39 GP, 7 G, 36 A, 43 Pts, +8, 22 PIM
vs Tor- 32 GP, 6 G, 15 A, 21 Pts, +2, 30 PIM
Streak- 1 G, 17 A, 18 Pts in 13 December games

Toronto- Mikhail Grabovski
Season- 38 GP, 7 G, 17 A, 24 Pts, -1, 4 PIM
vs Mtl- 9 GP, 2 G, 8 A, 10 Pts, +1, 54 PIM
Streak- 1 A in 6 games since 6 game point streak

Pre-Game Reports:

Montreal:
Paul Mara(wrist)- Uncertain
Roman Hamrlik(knee)- Questionable
Brian Gionta(broken foot)- Questionable

Toronto:
John Mitchell(knee)- Out
Carl Gunnarsson(elbow)- Out
Mike Van Ryn(knee)- Out

[McMikel]

Toronto could easily put over 50 SOG tomorrow night. Conversely, if we have the man advantage most of the night, our guys could add another 2 or 3 PPG's to the total. I do not see a 1-0 game, or anything resembling that.

When Gionta returns, and we do not sustain more injuries, I really like the team make up with split time between Halak and CP. The longer I think about dealing the Flyers, it looks like a loser for Montreal. Philly will be hounding that last playoff spot in their current form. Giving them a real netminder, especially one with ties to the Habs, would bite us in the post-season. If Halak can't be dealt out west, do not make a trade.

And here's news via the radio... VL would void his contract after this season for a move to the right situation (Los Angeles). I guess that's legal.

[McMikel]

...and now with Halak in goal, why not a shutout?

[McMikel]

Gomez!

[McMikel]

Plec!

[Habs n Jays Fan]

Not a good 2nd or 3rd period, lucky Toronto couldn't capitalize on a lot of their chances.

On a sidenote, I couldn't help but laugh when Glenn Healy said Halak would rather play in the KHL then in Montreal and said Montreal has to trade him now. Wonder if Healy realizes Halak is a Restricted Free Agent after the year and even if he bolts to Russia, Montreal continues to own his NHL rights and can't sign with any other team in the league.

[McMikel]

That's two games in the ACC where the Laffs dominated and lost. If it were against any other team, I'd be fuming. When Toronto turns it around (meaning firing Wilson), they will be a force. Their goal play needs serious upgrading, Monster or not. And not tendering Kessel in the off-season was Gainey's second biggest blunder behind Gomez.

Healy has HNiC disease, loving to hear himself talk. There is no way Halak is going to the KHL and this may turn into a circa 1970's Vachon-Dryden system. For the right money, both would gladly share a 60/40 playing time split.

[McMikel]

How can Toronto play so well against Pittsburgh and we can not? How?