Montreal Canadiens. Toronto Maple Leafs. Saturday Night. Hockey Night in Canada. It's the perfect way to end the year on the season's final weekend. The last day of the season isn't until Thursday, but hockey owns Saturdays at this time of year and the NHL did the right thing by scheduling these teams.
The Canadiens failed their goal of clinching a playoff spot when they lost to the Ottawa Senators on Friday night, but they have a chance to make it special on the last Hockey Night in Canada of the year against the Leafs.
Jakub Dobes will likely get thrown into the fire on Saturday night, as Sam Montembeault started against the Sens. Dobes stopped 36 of 37 shots in his last start against the Nashville Predators, and a repeat performance against the Maple Leafs will go a long way for his confidence and the team's confidence in him.
Many will be unimpressed with the performance of Montembeault on Friday, but it isn't time to start a goaltending controversy, yet. You might want to buy into the narrative of Dobes becoming the 2025 version of Jaroslav Halak and stealing the show against the Washington Capitals in the first round, but we won't get ahead of ourselves.
How to Watch Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
Time: 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT
Venue: Scotiabank Arena
How to Watch: Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports, FuboTV
The Tampa Bay Lightning lost in overtime on Friday night, which did the Maple Leafs a favor but didn't do much for the Canadiens. The Detroit Red Wings earned the two points, but they'll have to win out the rest of the season while the Canadiens lose their remaining games.
It's unlikely that will happen, but the Lightning loss makes this game interesting for the Maple Leafs. A win over the Canadiens will put them four points ahead of the Lightning with just three games remaining. It'd be the first division title in over two decades for the Maple Leafs (minus the 2020 Canadian division).