The Habs and Leafs spent most of Friday relaxing in Toronto, as both road-weary squads took the opportunity to recharge after winning games the previous evening.
Of the Habs who played in Wednesday’s game in Winnipeg, only Jarred Tinordi and Colby Armstrong opted to participate in the team’s optional practice, while eight non-regulars laced up.
The Leafs, for their part, only practiced for 35 minutes at their training centre.
Leafs’ top line centre Tyler Bozak was absent from practice due to an undisclosed injury and coach Randy Carlyle said that he didn’t know if he’d be ready for Saturday's game against the Habs, the final game of the 48-game season for both teams.
The Leafs lead the season series 3-1 and are getting set for their first whiff of playoff action in nine years after putting up numbers similar to the Canadiens in many ways: for example, the Canadiens have scored 145 goals and given up 125, while the Leafs have netted 144 and allowed 129.
The teams could very well face each other in the first round of the playoffs, which would be their first playoff battle since 1979, as the Leafs currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 57 points, while the Canadiens are in fourth with 61.
However if the Leafs fail to register a point against the Habs, and Ottawa wins its final two games, the Canadiens would face the Senators in the first round.
If the Habs win and the Bruins fail to register more than a point in their last two games, Montreal would end up in second place in the conference and could face the Senators, Rangers or Islanders.
Toronto Coach Randy Carlyle appeared indifferent to the various scenarios, focusing instead on Saturday’s game.
“We know we can compete with good teams if we play our game,” he said. “When we forget that fact, we’re a very ordinary team.”
Carlyle credits preparation for the team’s resurgence this season.
“Our preparation will be very, very strict and structured and it’s been like that since the start. We won’t change our routine because it’s important that each of us understand his role and what is expected of him in every situation,” he said.
The Canadiens are coming off a 4-2 win in Winnipeg that helped them shake a longstanding slump.
The Canadiens’ point leader is Max Pacioretty who has 39 points in 43 games, while P.K. Subban has 38 points in 41 games.
If Subban were take over the lead, he would become only the second defenceman in Canadiens' history to lead the team in points. Westmount’s Sprague Cleghorn accomplished the feat in 1921-22.
In the unlikely event that Subban scores four points in Saturday’s game, he would become the first Canadiens’ defenceman to reach the point-per-game total since 1985-86 when Larry Robinson scored 82 points in 78 games, including 19 goals.
Check out this photo gallery to see images from some of the rougher moments from Leafs-Habs tilts of the past.
