TOR@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – The Canadiens host none other than the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre for the team's final Saturday home game of the season.

TICKETS: Maple Leafs @ Canadiens 🎟️

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

1. Martin St-Louis' contingent went down but not without a fight in Thursday’s 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre. Joel Armia spearheaded the Canadiens offense, scoring the team’s first two goals of the game. The Bolts dominated the middle frame, netting four unanswered goals to take a commanding 6-2 lead into the final period. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield managed to narrow the gap with goals in the third, but that was as close as the Habs would get. Alex Newhook was in on each of Armia’s goals, marking his second consecutive multi-assist performance. Between the pipes, Cayden Primeau made 28 saves for Montreal.

2. Our neighbors from Ontario were likewise handed a three-goal loss to the Lightning in their most recent outing at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday. Sheldon Keefe’s men suffered a 4-1 setback to Tampa Bay, ending their three-game winning streak but perhaps more notably, delaying the clinching of a playoff berth. The Leafs have reason to celebrate nonetheless, as Auston Matthews continues to terrorize his oppositions. The 26-year-old, whose next point will be his 100th of the season, has now appeared on the scoresheet in nine straight games, totaling 17 points (8G, 9A) in the meantime. Good news follows for the Leafs, who are expecting Mitch Marner back in the lineup tonight, after a near one-month stint on the shelf with a suspected ankle injury. The 26-year-old has 76 points in 62 games this year.

3. Rarely do Montreal-Toronto matchups disappoint, and the two most recent meetings were no exception. Though the bad guys escaped with the two points on both occasions, each of the previous to head-to-heads this season came down to the wire: on Oct. 11, the Leafs won 6-5 in a shootout, and on Mar. 9, it was Toronto leaving the Bell Centre with a 3-2 win. Tonight, the Canadiens look to avoid being swept by their longtime rivals. Mike Matheson, Newhook and Slafkovsky have been particularly productive against the Buds in 2023-24, each having collected three points in the two matchups to date.

4. Nick Suzuki delivered his 72nd point of the season against the Lightning on Thursday, and there’s no reason to believe No. 73 (and maybe even 74) isn't in store for tonight. The Habs captain has 11 points in his last 10 games and eight in his last six. Suzuki’s 19 goals since the All-Star break are the fourth most in the National Hockey League, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, Zach Hyman and the Leafs’ Matthews. Lastly, the 24-year-old has totaled 21 points in 22 Saturday games this season.

5. As of this morning, Kaiden Guhle’s status for tonight’s game remains up in the air. The 22-year-old left Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury and did not return. The team was off on Friday, so Guhle’s status, any potential lineup changes and the starting goalie for Saturday's game could be known when St-Louis addresses the media during his pregame press conference, streamed live on the team’s YouTube, Facebook and X accounts. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on CBC, Sportsnet and TVA Sports or listen on the radio on TSN 690 or 98,5 fm. For tickets, click here.