The Montreal Canadiens are set to open their season against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the seventh straight year, and this time the matchup comes with a built-in edge for Montreal.
On Wednesday, the league announced the five games scheduled for Opening Night, which is set for September 29th. Toronto and Montreal are on that list again, continuing a familiar start to the season for both teams.
The Canadiens have had mixed results in those recent openers, going 2-2-2 against the Maple Leafs over the past six season openers. Toronto took last year’s game 5-2, but Montreal enters this one with a different kind of advantage: continuity.
That’s where the contrast between the two teams really stands out. Montreal is bringing back the same core from the group that reached the Eastern Conference Final, while Toronto has spent the offseason remaking itself. The Maple Leafs have a new general manager, a new head coach, a new coaching staff, and a roster with several fresh faces.
Among the additions are Darren Raddysh, Sergei Bobrovsky, Emil Andrae, and Jack Roslovic. Toronto’s first overall pick from June’s draft, Gavin McKenna, is also almost certainly going to be on the ice to start the season.
That kind of turnover can take time to sort out. Players need to adjust to a new system, get comfortable with what the coaches want, and build chemistry with teammates they’re still learning on the fly.
There’s also the question of Auston Matthews. He suffered an MCL tear in March, and even if he’s ready for Opening Night, the long layoff could leave him with some rust.
Montreal doesn’t have those same concerns. The Canadiens look like a team that already knows who they are, while Toronto is still figuring things out. For the first game of the season, that stability could be enough to tilt things Montreal’s way and leave Maple Leafs fans heading home frustrated.
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