John Tavares back for Leafs vs. Canadiens, McKenna to PP2

The first sign came Friday morning, when Tavares skated at Leafs practice in a regular sweater instead of a no-contact one. Then the lines came out.

Tavares slotted in on the wing with Paul and Nylander, Roslovic was back after a maintenance day, and McKenna stayed with Joshua and Sissons. The real change was on the power play. Tavares went back onto the top unit with Raddysh, Matthews, Roslovic and Nylander, and McKenna dropped to the second group with Rielly, Ekman-Larsson, Cowan and Paul. Tavares got hurt October 15 in an overtime loss to Buffalo. He had 7 points in 7 games when he went down, and the Leafs have been treading water without him.

Taking a power-play spot away from the No. 1 overall pick could have been awkward. McKenna wasn't having any of that.

That's about as good an answer as an 18-year-old can give. He has 11 points in 17 games, a chunk of them on the power play, so he's not getting bumped because he played badly. He's getting bumped because John Tavares is John Tavares. Jim Hiller said Friday it 'sure looks like' Tavares would play. On Saturday morning he confirmed it, and he was blunt about the reason for the power-play swap: the unit had been good all season but went 0-for-4 the last couple games. Hiller also said McKenna 'really becomes a focus' on the second group, where the puck runs through him. He praised the kid's work without the puck too, while admitting they're still working through some of his decisions with it.

The goalie plan sorted itself out at the optional skate. Sergei Bobrovsky took the starter's net and gets the Habs, Anthony Stolarz is lined up for New Jersey on Sunday, and Akhtyamov was recalled to back up for the weekend. Then the room weighed in on Tavares, and they had a lot to say.

Matthews also said he feels as good physically as he has in a few years, which might matter more to the Leafs than anything else this week. Toronto comes in at 8-7-2 having lost 3 of 4, is still looking for its first divisional win of the season, and got some help from the other side before puck drop.

With no Josh Anderson for Montreal, a healthy Matthews and the captain-turned-winger back on PP1, the Leafs are out of excuses tonight. The things to watch: whether the reshuffled top unit wakes up, and whether McKenna running the second group turns out to be a gift. Then they turn right around against the Devils on Sunday.