Canadiens Game Day: Eric Staal excited about chance to face Leafs
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“Playoff hockey is the best time of year and it’s the Habs-Leafs,” veteran centre says. “So you can’t not be excited about it.”
Author of the article:
Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette
Publishing date:
May 20, 2021 • 6 hours ago • 8 minute read • 16 Comments 
“As a group, we’re confident in what we can do together … I’m just a part of that,” the Canadiens’ Eric Staal says about facing the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette Article content
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin likes to say there are players who get you into the playoffs and players who get you through the playoffs.
Eric Staal didn’t do much to help get the Canadiens into the playoffs, but Bergevin is now counting on the veteran centre to help get his team through the playoffs.
Bergevin gave up a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft to acquire the 36-year-old Staal from Buffalo on March 26 after he posted 3-7-10 totals and a minus-20 in 32 games with the Sabres. Staal wasn’t any better with the Canadiens with 2-1-3 totals and a minus-10 in 21 games after the trade. Staal’s combined minus-30 for the season was the second-worst plus/minus rating in the NHL, trailing only Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin, who was minus-36.
Staal has 62 games of NHL playoff experience with 21-30-51 totals and he helped the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 with 9-19-28 totals in 25 games. Bergevin and Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme are counting on Staal making use of that playoff experience, even though the veteran centre has only played in 19 playoff games over the last 12 seasons with 2-6-8 totals.
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That’s why Staal will be in the lineup for Game 1 of the Canadiens’ first-round series against the Maple Leafs Thursday night in Toronto (7:30 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
“I’m excited … rightfully so, as we should be,” Staal said after practice this week. “Playoff hockey is the best time of year and it’s the Habs-Leafs. So you can’t not be excited about it.
“As a group, we’re confident in what we can do together … I’m just a part of that,” Staal added. “I think if we play our style of game and our play throughout our lineup we can be very difficult to play against. For me it’s just continuing to try and do the detail parts of the game, be strong, be physical, win my battles, win my puck battles, get to the net. All the gritty stuff you need to do in playoffs to win games. It’s all about winning now — that’s all that matters. For me, I’m excited for the chance to go against the Leafs in Game 1 and we’ll be ready to go.”
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Staal, a veteran of 1,293 NHL regular-season games, will be at centre on the third line between Corey Perry and Josh Anderson.
When asked about his experience and how it can help him in the playoffs, Staal said: “I think overall the situations that you’re put in for someone like me I’ve been there, I’ve been in those spots. I think I understand what it takes and what you need to do. But regardless of whether you have or haven’t, you still have to go out there and perform and do what you can to help the team win. That’s the only thing that matters and I think regardless of who we have in the lineup and who we have out there on the ice you trust in their abilities and trust that they’re going to do what’s right for our group and for our team. For me, individually, I’m a piece of that and excited for that chance in Game 1 against Toronto.”
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Article content A long time waiting
This marks the first time Montreal and Toronto will meet in the playoffs since 1979 when the Canadiens swept the Leafs in the Stanley Cup quarter-finals en route to winning their fourth straight Stanley Cup.
Toronto hasn’t beaten Montreal in a playoff game since May 2, 1967, when the Leafs won the Stanley Cup with a 3-1 win over the Canadiens in Game 6 of the final at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Leafs haven’t won another Stanley Cup since, while the Canadiens’ last Stanley Cup came in 1993. No Canadian team has won the Cup since.
“Honestly, it means a lot,” Staal said about the Montreal-Toronto matchup. “I grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont., watched the Leafs every Saturday night. One of those things throughout my career, every time I got a chance to play against Toronto or against Montreal those are the teams that I grew up watching and fell in love with the game. So now, at this point of my career, the opportunity to play them in the playoffs, it doesn’t get much better. You got to embrace it, you got to enjoy it, you got to have fun, play free, play hard, and play the way we know we can and hope that in the end we get the result we want and we move on.”
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Staal added that he isn’t taking this opportunity for granted.
“I have never not enjoyed lacing up the skates and being out on the ice with my teammates and playing in the NHL,” he said. “I’ve never for once in my life taken it for granted. Habs-Leafs, first round of the playoffs … beside the fact that there’s going to be no fans in the building it doesn’t get much better. It’s still going to be very, very intense. We wish it was full houses both buildings, but it’s the reality we’re living in. I’m going to enjoy every moment, no question.”
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Article content Big underdogs
The Canadiens will be big underdogs against Toronto after finishing the regular season with a 24-21-11 record, 18 points behind the Leafs (35-14-7) in the all-Canadian North Division. The Canadiens had a 3-6-1 record in their 10 regular-season games against Toronto.
“I think for our group and for our guys we know that we can find success against this team and we know that if we play our style of game and have everyone committed every single shift, every single moment on the ice we’ll be able to win games and that’s what it’s all about,” Staal said. “It starts small with Game 1. Playoffs are a lot of ups and downs and our focus as a group is try to win Game 1 and go on from there.”
The Canadiens’ Phillip Danault noted Thursday morning that there’s pressure on both teams in this series.
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“Toronto finished first in the North Division,” Danault said. “They have a very good team. We recognize that. But we did our job. We prepared mentally and physically over the last week to put ourselves in a good spot. We’ll come out hard.”
Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said Thursday morning that he’s “very comfortable” with where his team is now after having a week to practice and rest following the end of the regular season. Goalie Carey Price (concussion), captain Shea Weber (upper body), Brendan Gallagher (fractured thumb) and Danault (concussion) have all recovered from their injuries and will be in the lineup for Game 1. The only player the Canadiens are missing is Jonathan Drouin, who left the team indefinitely for personal reasons last month and isn’t expected to return for the playoffs.
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“We’re very confident heading into the series,” Ducharme said. “We expect our four lines to use their strengths and contribute. On the defensive side of things, I think our defencemen will be tough to face. We’ll get started like that.”
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Article content Dynamic duo
If the Canadiens are going to upset the Leafs, they’ll need to find a way to contain Toronto’s dynamic duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Matthews led the NHL with 41 goals this season and finished fifth in the NHL scoring race with 41-25-66 totals, one point behind Marner, who finished fourth with 20-47-67 totals. In the 10 regular-season against the Canadiens, Matthews had 7-7-14 totals and Marner had 4-7-11 totals.
“When (Matthews) plays with Marner he’s the guy that makes everything … he stirs the drink,” said the Canadiens’ Paul Byron, who will be on the fourth line with Jake Evans and Artturi Lehkonen. “(Marner) always has the puck. He can always find (Matthews) — even when he’s not looking at him he finds great passing lanes to him right on the tape. It’s a great hockey line. They’re dangerous. …. When you’re on the ice you got to know you’re up against them and for us I think the recipe doesn’t change. We got to stay above them, attack, put lots of pressure and just try and eliminate as much time and space. They’re great players and sometimes they’re going to make plays, but you got to eliminate those (things) as much as you can.”
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Byron said the key to stopping Matthews is somewhat similar to playing against the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, who led the NHL in scoring the season with 33-72-105 totals, in that you have to take away time and space. But Byron added that they are two different types of players.
“When (McDavid) doesn’t play with Leon (Draisaitl), McDavid’s all over the ice,” Byron said. “He’s very dynamic, great skater, he can kind of turn nothing into something at any given point in the game. Such an electric player. Auston, I watch him play, very, very intelligent, a sneaky good skater, strong. He just finds areas to get himself open to shoot. McDavid you’re more worried about skating and Matthews you’re more worried about where the shot is.”
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The Leafs will have the last line change for the first two games in Toronto, so they can dictate the matchups. The Canadiens will want to have Danault’s line, with Gallagher and Tomas Tatar, play as much as possible against Matthews and Marner.
“Matthews and Marner are star players,” Danault said. “It’s only normal for them to find ways to score from time to time. Our line is back together, though. I’m really happy to have my wingers back. We’re all capable of playing against them. Our defencemen are solid and we have Pricey and (Jake) Allen in goal. The stage is set for a big game tonight.”
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Article content Habs lines
The Canadiens only held an optional morning skate Thursday. Here’s how their forward lines and defence pairings are expected to look for Game 1 with Price starting in goal:
Tatar – Danault – GallagherToffoli – Suzuki – ArmiaPerry – Staal – AndersonByron – Evans – Lehkonen
Edmundson – PetryMerrill – WeberKulak – Chiarot
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Article content Leafs lines
Here’s how Toronto’s forward lines and defence pairings are expected to look for Game 1 with Jack Campbell starting in goal:
Hyman – Matthews – MarnerFoligno – Tavares – NylanderMikheyev – Nash – KerfootThornton – Spezza – Simmonds
Rielly – BrodieMuzzin – HollSandin – Bogosian
Stu Cowan: Young Canadiens won’t gain experience if they don’t play 
Canadiens Notebook: Offence could be a big problem (again) for Habs The schedule
Here’s the complete schedule for the Canadiens-Leafs first-round playoff series:
Thursday, May 20, 7:30 p.m., at TorontoSaturday, May 22, 7 p.m., at TorontoMonday, May 24, 7 p.m., at MontrealTuesday, May 25, time TBD, at MontrealThursday, May 27, time TBD, at Toronto, if necessarySaturday, May 29, time TBD, at Montreal, if necessaryMonday, May 31, time TBD, at Toronto, if necessary
scowan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/StuCowan1
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