MTL@TOR: 'You're going to see a different team tonight'

TORONTO - Without sharing any specific details, defenseman Joel Edmundson provided a glimpse into the Canadiens' game plan on Saturday night.

It sounds like Claude Julien's players are going to throw everything they conceivably can at the Maple Leafs, emptying the proverbial tank at Scotiabank Arena.
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That's because a six-day break awaits them after this contest is over, so there's no better time to deliver a relentless 60-minute effort from start to finish.
"I think you're going to see a different team tonight from us," insisted Edmundson, following the morning skate. "We have a week off after this game, so nothing to save it for."

The Canadiens must be "a different team" if they hope to come away with two points against the top team in the League. Not only is Toronto riding a four-game winning streak after downing the Habs earlier this week in Montreal, but their 11-2-1 overall record (23 points) includes an equally impressive 6-1-0 record on home turf.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, have dropped three of their last four games primarily because they've been unable to generate the type of consistent offense that carried them out of the gate to begin the 2021 campaign in style.
They've managed to score just six goals during that stretch and were blanked 3-0 in their most recent outing against Edmonton on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
"We're a pretty good chunk into the season and there's not that many games left. With a shortened season, every point counts," insisted centerman Nick Suzuki, who ranks third on the roster with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists) in 14 games. "We have to get back on our winning ways, so we're going to try to do that tonight."

A quick look at the North Division standings reveals that Edmonton made up significant ground on Montreal while things have been going downhill, so they each have 18 points. The Canadiens, however, have two games in hand.
For their part, the Winnipeg Jets currently have 17 points and the Calgary Flames have 15 points, so it's a tight race to say the least - and it'll likely remain that way into May.
"It's important to get back to the playing style that led to our success at the start of the season. We're aware that the teams behind us are starting to catch up. We had a good start, but things have been tougher recently," said Julien. "We have to get back on the winning track to continue climbing in the standings."

Getting their transition game going again would be a huge step in the right direction tonight against a Maple Leafs squad capable of exploding offensively with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares in the lineup.
Matthews is riding an 11-game point streak and leads the League with 11 goals, while Marner's point streak was just snapped at eight games, so they're equally dangerous.
"Transition is pretty much the best part of our team. It's just that anticipation, playing on your toes. We don't want to sit back and watch them skate and stickhandle around us," emphasized Suzuki. "We want to be in their face, taking away their time and trying to get on the offensive side."
Quick hits
With respect to the Canadiens' lineup tonight, Julien confirmed that defenseman Victor Mete will dress in place of Brett Kulak.
It will be Mete's third game of the season and his first appearance since playing back-to-back games against the Canucks on February 1 and 2 at the Bell Centre.
The 22-year-old Woodbridge, ON native was held without a point while averaging 16:14 of ice time during those outings.

Meanwhile, goaltender Carey Price will make his ninth start of the year.
The 14-year NHL veteran stopped 20 of 23 shots in Wednesday night's loss to Sheldon Keefe's contingent.
It remains to be seen if the Habs' bench boss will make any changes up front.
He wasn't prepared to share any details on that subject after the on-ice session.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on CBC, Sportsnet, Citytv and TVA Sports, and listen to all the action on TSN Radio 690 and 98,5 fm.