The Senators are rested, and the Maple Leafs are tired, but can Toronto put on a competitive showing for their home crowd at the Canadian Tire Centre? (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC). Game Day Quotes

Craig Berube on the challenge against the Senators: 

It’s always a tough game against them. We are going to have to compete as we did in the game last night.

They’re in a spot right now where they are rolling pretty well. It will be a highly competitive game, and they’re playing well.

They’re a hard forechecking team. They’re going to come at you hard. There is not a lot of space or room out there, and you have to earn everything you get against them offensively.

We’ll need to do a good job of breaking pucks out of our zone tonight. We’ll need to play a lot of the way they play: put pucks behind them, and go to work.

Berube on Morgan Rielly’s day-to-day absence:

It [happened] in the last game, and I just made a decision on it this morning. With him being sick and coming back, he aggravated something last night. I don’t want it to be an extended-length thing. I’ve got a healthy body with Myers, so he’ll play tonight.

Berube on Bo Groulx’s emergence since the call-up: 

He has done a good job in all areas. He has done a good job of penalty killing. With the opportunity he has gotten, he has taken advantage of it. He is scoring some goals. He’s made a few plays.

He is playing a smart hockey game out there. He is in position all the time, and he is competitive. He is not trying to do too much. He’s having success right now.

Travis Green on the expectation that his team will come out jumping vs. the Leafs: 

Toronto-Ottawa games always bring a lot of passion and energy. That part should be checked off. Plus, we need the two points, and we had the day off to reset.

Brady Tkachuk on the atmosphere for a Leafs vs. Sens matchup on HNIC, with the Leafs out of the playoff picture: 

It is always highly emotional. It’s a big game for our two teams. I expect Saturday night to be an emotional one.

There is no easy game or easy night. They have some high-end skill and tremendous talent. It doesn’t really matter where anybody is in the standings. Every game is a challenge.

I expect a rivalry game to be a highly emotional, intense game.

Tim Stutzle on facing a Leafs team that is out of the playoff mix: 

We are definitely not used to it. In years prior, we were the team out of the playoffs. But they have a good team with great players who can make plays all over the ice. I am sure their future is still bright. We’ll try to play our game. We’re trying to get in, so we will do everything we can to win tonight.

Maple Leafs (29-28-13) vs. Senators (35-24-9): Head-to-Head Stats

via NaturalStatTrick.com & AdvancedHockeyStats.com

Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines

Forwards
#53 Easton Cowan – #91 John Tavares – #89 Nick Robertson
#23 Matthew Knies – #11 Max Domi – #88 William Nylander
#63 Matias Maccelli – #29 Bo Groulx – #81 Dakota Joshua
#18 Steven Lorentz – #26 Jacob Quillan – #19 Calle Jarnkrok

Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe – #28 Troy Stecher
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson – #25 Brandon Carlo
#2 Simon Benoit – #51 Philippe Myers

Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#41 Anthony Stolarz

Extras: Michael Pezzetta
Injured: Anthony Stolarz (left warmups), Morgan Rielly (day-to-day), Auston Matthews (out for the season), Chris Tanev (LTIR)

Ottawa Senators Projected Lines

Forwards
#19 Drake Batherson – #18 Tim Stutzle – #28 Claude Giroux
#7 Brady Tkachuk – #24 Dylan Cozens – #71 Ridly Greig
#21 Nick Cousins – #12 Shane Pinto – #22 Michael Amadio
#37 Warren Foegele – #89 Lars Eller – #20 Fabian Zetterlund

Defensemen
#72 Thomas Chabot – #2 Artem Zub
#43 Tyler Kleven – #10 Jordan Spence
#6 Dennis Gilbert – #33 Nikolas Matinpalo

Goaltenders
Starter: #35 Linus Ullmark
#47 James Reimer

Injured: Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen