Less than 24 hours after suffering their worst loss of the season, Laval pulled into Toronto for a showdown with the divisional rival Marlies. Even after a less-than-stellar showing in temporary relief of Etienne Marcoux, Michael McNiven got the nod from Joël Bouchard as the starter. The task in front of him would not be easy, as the Marlies were bolstered by the return of Pierre Engvall to their lineup, while Kasimir Kaskisuo started for Toronto in net.
Games against Toronto are always up for grabs when it comes to the Canadiens AHL team, and even after the previous night’s loss, the Rocket were treating this game like it was do or die again.