Maple Leafs at Canadiens
The league-leading Montreal Canadiens look to end a disappointing week on a high note when they begin a three-game homestand on Saturday against the Original Six-rival Toronto Maple Leafs. Montreal stormed out of the gate this season with a 10-game point streak (9-0-1) and followed up its first regulation loss with a four-game winning streak but fell to 0-2-1 over the last six days with Friday's 3-2 setback in Carolina.
The Canadiens are counting on Carey Price (10-0-1, 1.63 goals-against average, .948 save percentage) to stop the bleeding, as the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner returns to the crease after playing just once during the team's skid. Toronto is hoping to continue its offensive surge, as it has scored six goals in four of its last six games - with all four resulting in victories. Connor Brown, who had recorded three points in his previous 16 contests, registered a career-high four - including a personal-best two goals - on Thursday as the Maple Leafs rolled to a 6-1 home triumph over Florida. James van Riemsdyk has been a force in the last two games, notching four goals after an eight-game drought and adding two assists to become Toronto's leading scorer with 17 points.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC, TVAS
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (8-6-3): Auston Matthews is finding that it's not so easy to be a top scorer in the world's best league after all. After netting four goals in his NHL debut and collecting 10 points over his first six games, the 2016 first overall draft pick has recorded only two assists in his last 11 contests and has been kept off the scoresheet in each of the last two - both of which were six-goal efforts by Toronto. While Matthews has struggled, fellow 19-year-old rookie Mitch Marner - the fourth overall selection in the 2015 draft - has been on fire, registering six goals and four assists over his last seven games to climb within one point of van Riemsdyk for the team lead.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (13-3-2): A return to the lineup by Alexander Radulov could help Montreal, as the 30-year-old Russian - who is tied for second on the team with 14 points - has missed the last two contests with an illness. Radulov played a major role in the Canadiens' 2-1 home victory over Toronto on Oct. 29, setting up both goals - including defenseman Shea Weber's winner at 7:24 of the third period. Andrei Markov notched two assists Friday to pull even with Radulov in points and give Montreal two blue-liners with double-digit point totals (Weber, 13).
OVERTIME
1. Canadiens D Jeff Petry ended his 15-game goal-scoring drought Friday, tallying for the first time since netting a pair in his season debut on Oct. 15 against Ottawa.
2. Toronto has had 17 different goal scorers this season, but LW Matt Martin and D Nikita Zaitsev have yet to tally despite playing in all 17 of the team's games.
3. Montreal LW Charles Hudon, who notched two assists in three games last campaign - his first in the NHL - made his season debut Friday and set up a goal.