Leafs lineup tonight vs Montreal

The Toronto Maple Leafs face the Montreal Canadiens tonight with a seriously depleted roster. Injuries to Matthews, Woll, Tanev, Carlo, and Stolarz have forced Toronto to get creative with their Leafs' lineup tonight vs Montreal. This matchup matters because the Leafs lost to Montreal 2-1 just recently, and they'll need their depth players to step up big time.

How injuries are shaping the Leafs' roster

The injury list keeps growing for Toronto. Auston Matthews remains sidelined with a lower body injury, while goaltender Joseph Woll just landed on injured reserve. Defensemen Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo are both out, forcing the team to shuffle their blue line (which honestly is getting ridiculous at this point). Anthony Stolarz also can't play tonight. These absences mean Dennis Hildeby gets the starting nod in goal instead of relying on established veterans. Depth matters in hockey, and tonight Toronto will find out how good their backup options realy are.

What to expect from tonight's lineup

Toronto's forward group has been reorganized for this matchup. Mathew Knies, Auston Matthews (if available), and Max Domi anchor the top line. The second line features Easton Cowan, John Tavares, and Nicholas Robertson. Steven Lorentz, Scott Laughton, and Calle Jarnkrok form the third unit. Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and William Nylander complete the fourth line. On defense Morgan Rielly pairs with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, while Jake McCabe and Troy Stecher handle the second pairing. Each line needs to pull their weight without full strength available.

Montreal's threat and special teams

Don't sleep on the Canadiens. Cole Caufield extended his points streak to 10 games and poses a serious scoring threat. Nick Suzuki's playmaking ability keeps Montreal dangerous. Power plays and penalty kills likely decide tonight's game, especially since the Leafs already lost to Montreal 2-1 in early December. Special teams can swing momentum quickly in rivalry matchups like this one.

What you need to watch tonight

Keep your eyes on four key things. First, monitor Hildeby's performance under pressure. Second, watch how the forward lines develop chemistry without their full roster. Third, track whether Toronto's defense handles Montreal's speed and skill effectively. Finally, pay attention to special teams execution on both sides (power plays and penalty kills really matter here). The team that controls the puck during advantage situations will likely skate away with the win. This game tests Toronto's ability to compete with injuries piling up.