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Habs and Leafs Prepare for Classic Rivalry Showdown
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- Habs and Leafs Prepare for Classic Rivalry Showdown
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (14-9-3) are set to face the Toronto Maple Leafs (13-11-3), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
Both teams are coming off wins, with the Habs beating the Winnipeg Jets in overtime, and the Maple Leafs dominating the Carolina Hurricanes , but that's where the similarities end between the two longtime rivals.
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Toronto has won four of its last five games, whereas Montreal has lost two out of their last three. Consequently, the Maple Leafs are just two points behind the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference standings, though it should be noted that Martin St-Louis' team has one game in hand.
It will be a great test of Montreal's ability to face a team that has found a newfound sense of confidence.
Starting Goalies, Defensive Situation
The good news for the Canadiens is that they won't face Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz , seeing as both goaltenders have been added to the injured reserve . Rather, it will be 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby between the pipes for the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
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As for the Canadiens, they'll turn to rookie netminder Jakub Dobes , who stopped 30 of the 32 shots sent his way to secure the win on Wednesday versus the Jets.
Beyond using Dobes versus Toronto, we'll have to wait for the pregame warm-up to determine whether there will by any additional lineup changes, given that the Canadiens did not run practice on Saturday morning.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alexandre Texier – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – Brendan Gallagher
Jared Davidson – Joe Veleno – Zachary Bolduc
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Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Jakub Dobes
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Max Domi
Easton Cowan – John Tavares – William Nylander
Dakota Joshua – Nicolas Roy – Bobby McMann
Steven Lorentz – Scott Laughton – Nicholas Robertson
Morgan Rielly – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jake McCabe – Troy Stetcher
Simon Benoit – Phillippe Myers
Dennis Hildeby
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Leafs
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, December 6, 2025, will be aired on Sportsnet, TVA Sports, and HNIC. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
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