Hockey Day in Canada is here and in 2025 it brings us another installment of one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. There is no better way to spend a Saturday night than watching the Montreal Canadiens as they host their arch-rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Bell Centre.
This rivalry is at its peak when the stakes are high and both teams are firing on all cylinders. That’s exactly what fans will witness tonight. Both teams enter the game riding impressive stretches. The Maple Leafs have won six of their last ten games and sit atop the Atlantic Division.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens are arguably the hottest team in hockey, winning eight of their last ten games. Under head coach Martin St. Louis, what once seemed like another rebuilding year for the Canadiens has turned into a potential playoff push. They are just one point behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
What is fuelling the Montreal Canadiens' hot streak?
The #gohabsgo are 14-5-1 and plus-14 over their last 20 games. That’s a .725 points percentage. Only the Oilers (.786) and Golden Knights (.737) have done better over that stretch.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) January 17, 2025
Results aside, the Habs have ritually outplayed their opposition.
They have an excellent coach.
The Canadiens are on fire, but what caused this rapid turnaround? Is it Patrik Laine’s immediate impact since joining the lineup? Is it the stellar goaltending, which has been the best it’s been all season? Or has St. Louis’ defensive scheme finally clicked? The answer is likely a combination of all three. Everything is falling into place, and the results are showing against top-tier opponents.
If the Canadiens want to secure another signature win during this stretch, these are the players who need to step up:
Key players to watch
1. Sam Montembeault
Montembeault has continued to improve throughout the season as the team's number-one goalie. Facing Toronto's top-ten scoring offence, Montembeault must play his best hockey to keep the Canadiens in the game. Just as he did in the season opener when he made 48 saves to shut out the Maple Leafs. The Canadiens can not afford to fall behind early tonight.
2. Cole Caufield
Caufield has been the Canadiens' best offensive player as of late, he needs to get involved tonight. With goals in six of his last eight Caufield is possibly playing the best hockey of his career since being snubbed from Team USA's four-nations roster. Caufield must bring that chip on his shoulder tonight to help ignite Montreal's offence.
3. Lane Hutson
Not only has Hutson been on a tear offensively, he is also finding his way on the defensive end. The rookie defenceman looks like a star on the Canadiens blueline and his jump in productiond on both ends of the ice is no doubt a reason behind the team's recent hot streak. Hutson comes into tonight riding a six game point streak, which has propelled him to the lead in points among all rookies.
Head to head matchups
Tonight marks the third meeting between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs this season, with the series tied at one apiece. While Toronto has won seven of the last ten matchups, Montreal will look to rebound after a disappointing 4-1 loss in their previous meeting.
The Canadiens have only scored two goals against the Maple Leafs this season, a low number that must change tonight. Caufield scored the team's first goal of the season in their 1-0 win on opening night, while Brendan Gallagher scored the lone goal in the second matchup.
A way to solve their scoring issue against Toronto? Keeping their penalty-killing units off the ice. The units were great in the first game, going a perfect four-for-four but were not so good the second time around. They allowed Toronto another four powerplay opportunities, in which they capitalized on two of them. Staying out of the box will be key tonight.
If the Canadiens can avoid early deficits, stay disciplined, and feed off the energy of their sure-to-be rocking home crowd, they’ll put themselves in a prime position to secure another win. A signature victory over their rivals could give them even more momentum as they fight for a playoff spot.
Catch the Montreal Canadiens taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at the Bell Centre, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. Eastern.