As the Leafs took to the ice in Montreal Monday night, the lineup Sheldon Keefe deployed looked a lot closer to the one he’ll use in the regular-season opener. The opportunity for depth players to push for roster spots is dwindling as players who look closer to roster locks begin to jockey for roles.
Because the Leafs played their stars as well as a number of key contributors, they were able to roll over the Canadiens from the jump. In the opening frame, the Leafs controlled 62.5% of the scoring chances, 100% of the high-danger chances, and 70.