Toronto Star

Bragging rights at stake for Leafs against Habs

Struggling Canadiens in freefall and Toronto looking to keep it that way

- CURTIS RUSH SPORTS REPORTER

In the old days of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, the atmosphere inside and outside the arena was electric.

And the sparks touched off some memorable games played by legends like Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon.

For one game anyway, the old glory is back: Keon will be in the house Saturday night.

Having repaired ties with the franchise he felt dishonoure­d the past, Keon will be inducted into Legends Row, along with Turk Broda and Tim Horton.

Keon’s name is still magic almost 50 years after leading Toronto to its last Stanley Cup in 1967. His presence alone should put back all the energy that was sucked out of the Air Canada Centre on Thursday in Carolina’s 1-0 victory, a game so boring that even the most prodigious NHL tweeters fell silent.

“Obviously, with the guys that we’re inducting, it’s going to be a special night for everyone, and we want to play well,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said.

Babcock called off the team’s on-ice practice on Friday to make sure the legs are fresh.

“I just want us to have our best game, period,” Babcock said. “It’s on them right now.” Both teams come into the game suffering various degrees of pain.

In Toronto, the organizati­on warned there would be pain as the Leafs retooled, and they have kept to their word. In Montreal, the pain is sharper. The Canadiens were expected to win and, after leading the Eastern Conference earlier this season, they have lost17 of their last 21games. GM Marc Bergevin is under so much pressure he called a news conference Thursday to take the blame and give embattled coach Michel Therrien a vote of confidence.

There are enough combustibl­e ingredient­s here that Leafs forward P.A. Parenteau, who played with the Habs last season, promises a better product than was served up against Carolina.

“It was a boring game,” Parenteau said, looking back.

“It was a grind. Let’s face it. I guarantee you it will be a much better game Saturday night.”

With Toronto’s offence having dried up, especially since James van Riemsdyk went down with a broken foot, Babcock is now is talking about a system of “scoring by committee” and getting more pucks to the net. The Leafs have eight goals in their last seven games, six of them losses.

“(Alex) Ovechkin is not on our team,” the Leafs coach said. He didn’t have to remind reporters there isn’t a Patrick Kane, Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin either.

Babcock is as blunt with the players as he is with the press.

“I think that’s the best way for peo- ple to get better,” he said.

“I also think the best players in the world want to be coached and want to be told how to get better.”

Earlier in the season, when Parenteau’s play fell off and his ice time hovered around10 minutes, Babcock sat down for a chat.

“I said, ‘What do you want? Do you want this to be the last stop or do you want to keep playing?’ Because if you want to keep playing, you’d better get to work so, real simple.”

He told Parenteau that if he worked hard, he would get more minutes.

“And if not, you’re going to be mad at another coach,” he told Parenteau. “You decide.” The talk seemed to work. Parenteau is now among the team’s top scorers with 11 goals and 12 assists and has been playing close to 20 minutes a game this month.

James Reimer will start in goal Saturday as Jonathan Bernier misses his fourth game in five outings.

Babcock understand­s how Bernier could be frustrated.

“Anytime you have something that you perceive is yours,” Babcock said, “and then it’s taken away from you, or you don’t keep it, that’s hard on you.” How does Bernier make it back? “What I’ve found in life,” Babcock said, “is that if you’re a good person and you dig in every day, and try to maximize who you are, you’re pretty happy at the end of the day and things go your way over time.”

 ?? GENE J. PUSKAR/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Leaf and former Hab P.A. Parenteau says Saturday’s game against Montreal should be an exciting matchup.
GENE J. PUSKAR/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Leaf and former Hab P.A. Parenteau says Saturday’s game against Montreal should be an exciting matchup.

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