Ducharme: 'We're very confident'

TORONTO - The Canadiens held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday morning ahead of Game 1 against the Maple Leafs.

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Forwards Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar spoke with reporters via Zoom, along with interim head coach Dominique Ducharme.
Here are a few highlights from their respective chats:
Danault on how the Habs are handling the pressure of playing in the postseason:
There's definitely pressure on both teams. Toronto finished first in the North Division. 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.

Danault on stopping Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner:
Matthews and Marner are star players. 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 defensemen are solid and we have Pricey and Allen in goal. The stage is set for a big game tonight.

Tatar on defending against the line of Matthews, Marner and Zach Hyman:
We just have to battle hard and be great in all three zones. All three of us know what we're capable of doing and what our job is. It's a big challenge, but we're looking forward to it. It's a great series with a lot of history and we're all very excited.

Tatar on the importance of resting before the series begins:
You can't even imagine. I was really looking forward to that break. Quite honestly, I didn't feel the best at the end. There were a lot of games. I was really happy we finished the regular season. I think it's going to give me a lot of confidence. The body just feels good. We had a little rest from hockey. Your mind is clear and I'm super excited to come back again and play at such a fun time of the season like this. That week was huge and I was extremely happy to have it. I'm fresh and I have all the energy back, so it should be a lot of fun out there.

Ducharme on possibly surprising the Maple Leafs even though the two teams battled often during the regular season:
There could be some small details, but it's a different situation than other seasons because we've already met 10 times. They know us well and we know them well. We know what's coming and they have a good idea too.

Ducharme on his expectations for Game 1:
I'm very comfortable with where we are. We're very confident heading into the series. We expect our four lines to use their strengths and contribute. On the defensive side of things, I think our defensemen will be tough to face. We'll get started like that.