Maple Leafs welcome Canadiens to ACC

[Habsfan84]

(Sports Network) - One of the best rivalries in all of sports resumes this evening in Toronto as the Maple Leafs welcome the Montreal Canadiens to Air Canada Centre.
The Maple Leafs and Habs have met twice already this season and Toronto posted wins in both of those contests. Toronto has won three straight and six of the last nine encounters between the clubs.
Montreal has struggled in Toronto recently, as the Habs have lost four straight and five of their last six tests at Air Canada Centre.
The Maple Leafs were last in action on Saturday night and they were handed a close loss by the visiting New York Rangers. Stephen Valiquette, starting in net for the first time this season, stopped 32 shots in regulation and two in a shootout to help the Rangers defeat the Leafs, 3-2.

Valiquette deflected both Maple Leaf attempts, one over the crossbar, one wide right. Meanwhile, Brendan Shanahan and Marcel Hossa both scored on their shots to help the Rangers seal the win.

Alexei Ponikarovsky scored both goals, and Mats Sundin picked up an assist for Toronto, which has lost two of its last three games and four of six overall. Vesa Toskala made 25 saves in the loss.
Sundin, who is Toronto's all-time leader in goals and points, has recorded 77 points (31 goals, 46 assists) in 80 career games against the Canadiens.
The Leafs are just 3-4-3 in front of the home crowd this season and are completing a brief two-game homestand tonight.
Montreal had won two straight before falling in Ottawa on Saturday. Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals in the third period to lead the powerful Senators past the Habs, 3-1, at Scotiabank Place.
Cristobal Huet had 34 saves and Andrei Markov tallied the lone goal for Montreal, which is 3-2-1 in its last six contests.
The Habs have a solid 5-2-1 mark as the visiting club this season and are playing the third test of a four-game road trip tonight. Montreal will cap the swing Friday evening in Boston.