The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens face off tonight in their third preseason game of 2025, continuing a long-standing rivalry. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Team Comparison and Background

The Canadiens are entering the game with a 2-0 preseason record, with wins against the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins. In their most recent game, Montreal defeated the Flyers 4-2, with goals from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and the Xhekaj brothers. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. In that game, Dennis Hildeby stopped all 23 shots he faced in 40 minutes of play, while Artur Akhtyamov stopped 15 of 18 shots.

Maple Leafs Roster and Lineup

The Maple Leafs are expected to ice a roster primarily composed of players looking to secure their positions within the organization. Several projected top players will not be dressing for the Leafs. According to Hockey Patrol, the projected lines for the Maple Leafs are:

• Forwards: Steven Lorentz - Scott Laughton - Easton Cowan, Bobby McMann - David Kampf - Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua - Jacob Quillan - Vinni Lettieri, Michael Pezzetta - Benoit-Olivier Groulx - Ryan Tverberg.
• Defense: Dakota Mermis - Philippe Myers, Marshall Rifai - Henry Thrun, Cade Webber - Matt Benning, William Villeneuve.
• Goalies: Dennis Hildeby, Vyacheslav Peksa.

TSN4 will broadcast the game in the Maple Leafs viewing region.

Canadiens Roster and Lineup

The Canadiens are likely to ice a lineup closer to what fans can expect in the regular season. Arpon Basu posted the Canadiens projected lines on X:

• Forwards: Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovský, Laine-Dach-Demidov, Roy-Rohrer-Mešár, Tuch-F.Xhekaj-Davidson.
• Defense: Matheson-Dobson, Guhle-Reinbacher, O'Rourke-Clurman.
• Goalies: Montembeault, Fowler.

TSN2 and RDS will broadcast the game in the Canadiens viewing region.

Players to Watch

• Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs): The Maple Leafs' top prospect has impressed in training camp and will be playing in his third consecutive preseason game. He will be playing on the top line alongside Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton.
• Matias Maccelli (Maple Leafs): After getting a trial run on the top line, Maccelli will play alongside Bobby McMann and David Kampf.
• Dennis Hildeby (Maple Leafs): With Joseph Woll away tending to a personal family matter, Hildeby is expected to start in goal for the Maple Leafs.
• Ivan Demidov (Canadiens): Demidov is a highly touted rookie who headlines a group of established stars and promising prospects at Canadiens training camp.
• Noah Dobson (Canadiens): Canadiens fans will get their first look at newly acquired Noah Dobson in a Canadiens uniform. He will be paired with Mike Matheson.

** storylines**

For the Maple Leafs, this game is another opportunity for players to show their potential and growth. With Joseph Woll's absence, Dennis Hildeby has an opportunity to solidify himself. Meanwhile, the Canadiens will be looking to stay perfect in the preseason and continue to build chemistry with their expected regular season lineup.

The Canadiens are holding a Season-Opening Mega Raffle through the entire preseason schedule to benefit the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation.