Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs LIVE

Where as the Canadiens had a busy off-season further improving their competitive roster, the struggling Maple Leafs are heading into the 2009-10 season with very few changes. Nonetheless, the franchise from Ontario is hoping to perform significantly better than last year despite the obvious lack of individual talent. Thus, fans around the league are expected to tune in on Thursday at 11 p.m. GMT to see the all Canadian NHL season opener between the Toronto Maples Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

Without any doubts, this summer has been a fairly busy one for Montreal as they did not only undergo an owner change but also made significant roster changes. More specifically, GM Bob Gainley was able to pull-off a complicated seven player traded that landed All-Star Scott Gomez in Quebec. Furthermore, the franchise was very active on the free agent market signing center Michael Cammalleri, right wing Brian Gionta and forward Travis Moen. Especially Cammalleri appears to be a safe bet for immediate scoring output as he cracked the 80-point mark last year for the Calgary Flames. Similarly, Brian Gionta can be regarded as an excellent fit since he used to be a linemate of Scott Gomez back in New Jersey.

Taking the Canadiens’ roster overhaul and last year’s performance into consideration the odds do not seem to be in Toronto’s favor. However, one should not underestimate the home ice advantage of the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Moreover, the new Canadiens team was not playing as well as some expected during the preseason in September. In fact, the team around Scott Gomez suffered a humiliating 1-6 loss versus the Ottawa Senators just a week ago. The Maple Leafs on the other hand were able to clinch an overtime win versus the defending NHL Stanley Cup champions from Pittsburgh. Even though one should not overestimate preseason results, this year’s NHL season opener could turn out to be less one-sided as many may expect.

You can watch all games of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.