Nick Foligno couldn't explain how the Montreal Canadiens outplayed his Toronto Maple Leafs early in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 6 of their first-round series.

"I can't," the forward said postgame, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "That's unacceptable (at) this time of year."

The veteran forward, who returned for the contest after missing the previous three with an injury, tried to put a positive spin on the defeat.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed Foligno's sentiments regarding the slow start.

"Obviously, we've got to be a whole lot better there," the bench boss said, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle.

Winger Mitch Marner also shared that opinion.

"We just didn't come ready to play at the start of the game," he said. "We really do have to start on time because it's getting said a lot, and it's not good enough."

Montreal outshot Toronto 15-9 in the first period, with Corey Perry and Tyler Toffoli scoring to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in the third. The Leafs rallied to tie it with two late markers before Jesperi Kotkaniemi won it near the end of the first overtime.

Toronto outshot Montreal 43-31 in the game, but the Habs controlled the five-on-five expected goals share 51.33% to 48.67% in the opening frame and 69.27% to 30.73% in the second, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game 7 is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

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The NHL revealed the schedules for the four Round 2 series of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday.

All times ET.
* if necessary.

East Division

No. 3 Boston Bruins vs. No. 4 New York Islanders

Central Division

No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning

West Division

No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights

North Division

The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs play Game 7 of their Round 1 series on Monday night. A scenario for Round 2 has been established in the case of either team winning.

If Toronto Maple Leafs win Round 1 vs. Winnipeg Jets

If Montreal Canadiens win Round 1 vs. Winnipeg Jets

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin was ruled out for the remainder of Game 6 against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury, the team announced.

Muzzin left in the second period after suffering an apparent groin injury.

The 32-year-old leads all defensemen on the Maple Leafs during the postseason with 22:21 minutes of ice time per game. Muzzin's also recorded 16 hits and 11 blocked shots.

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Foligno will play Game 6 versus the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night after missing the previous three contests with a lower-body injury.

Foligno's return bumps Adam Brooks out of the forward group. Travis Dermott is also back in the lineup for Rasmus Sandin, who had a pair of costly turnovers in a Game 5 loss on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs acquired Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the trade deadline. The 33-year-old registered four assists in seven regular-season games and has one helper thus far in the playoffs.

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Since the unveiling of the divisions and playoff format, this highly anticipated series felt almost inevitable.

The Minnesota Wild tried to throw a wrench into our plans, but the inescapable has been confirmed. The regular season's top two teams will meet for West Division supremacy in what might be the most enticing series of the entire playoffs.

1. Avalanche (-185) versus 2. Golden Knights (+165)

Overall

*Five-on-five

Head-to-head

*All strengths
**Game played at Lake Tahoe

The Avalanche absolutely destroyed the St. Louis Blues in their first-round series. Colorado made quick work of the 2019 Stanley Cup champions, trailing only once in the entire series for all of seven minutes in Game 4.

Colorado outscored its opponent 20-7, won every game by at least three goals, controlled 69% of the expected goal share, posted first-round bests in xGF/60 and xGA/60, converted 50% of its power-play opportunities, and featured 11 different goal-scorers. The top line combined for a ridiculous 24 points.

This series won't be as straightforward for the Avs, but such dominance shows just how good they really are. Their best players have a history of elevating their game in the playoffs and again seemed to find another gear in Round 1 following an already strong regular season - a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

When the puck drops in Game 1 on Sunday, the Avs will have been off for a full week, resting and recovering from a first-round series that closely resembled a training session, while the Golden Knights will be less than 48 hours removed from an incredibly demanding Game 7. They were pushed to the brink by the Wild in an emotionally and physically draining series, and now face the daunting task of having to face an Avalanche team that's exhausting to play against.

The Knights were first and the Wild were second in hits in Round 1, while the Avalanche and Blues were last and second-last, respectively. Furthermore, of the 423 minutes in the Vegas-Minnesota series, the games were tied or within a goal for a little over 318 (75%). Colorado's series was never close.

This is reminiscent of Tampa Bay Lightning-Boston Bruins in 2018. They finished a runaway first and second in the Atlantic, and a second-round showdown felt certain. Both teams got through the first round, but Boston was pushed to its limits by the Toronto Maple Leafs while Tampa breezed by the New Jersey Devils, and it resulted in the Lightning beating the Bruins comfortably in five games. Every situation is different, but any lapses in energy or intensity from Vegas are sure to be punished by a Colorado team that needs no invitation.

If the Knights are looking for something to hang their hats on ahead of this series, they can take solace in the fact they actually played better against the Avalanche this season than they did the Wild; Minnesota has historically given them trouble, so a first-round slugfest certainly wasn't a surprise.

The Knights were a respectable 4-4-0 against Colorado this season, though the Avalanche held the edge in xGF% and CF% at five-on-five and were 4-2-1 in Philipp Grubauer starts. Both regulation losses came as a result of Marc-Andre Fleury shutouts, with the first coming in their initial meeting of the season when the Avs were without Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, and Samuel Girard.

For Vegas to have success, Fleury will have to be excellent once again. He began the Minnesota series in terrific form but really lacked sharpness over the final three games. The Knights owned 61.5% of the expected goal share in Games 5 and 6 but lost both with Fleury saving 3.37 goals below expected. Those performances can't happen against this dynamic Colorado offense.

The one concerning bit for Vegas is the fact Colorado managed to edge the season series despite virtually no contributions from its lethal power play. The Avalanche went just 1-for-21 with the man advantage against the Knights, shooting 3.7%. That's a far cry from the 13.6% they shot on the power play this season, suggesting positive regression is in order.

However, Vegas did possess the league's best penalty kill this year - a vast improvement after finishing 27th (76.6%) last season. But power plays can be streaky, and Colorado's is scorching-hot right now after converting at a 50% clip in the first round.

Despite how close these teams were in the regular season, the Knights' margin for error feels razor-thin given the level the Avalanche are playing at right now. It's going to require a gutsy team effort, and they must tread a fine line between playing aggressive and staying disciplined. A heavy forecheck will be key against a group of top-three defensemen whose average size is 5'11, 183 pounds.

If Vegas can contain Colorado's power play and receive the sort of elite goaltending from Fleury they know he's capable of providing, this series can certainly go the distance. Still, even without Nazem Kadri - J.T. Compher is coming off a terrific season and has filled in excellently on the second line - the Avalanche have too much firepower atop the lineup, and depth down it.

Max Pacioretty helped alleviate Vegas' scoring issues in Game 7, but his health is a question mark after he missed the past four weeks and was limited to just 16:28 in his return. He'll have only one day off before this series starts, and it's hard to see the Knights keeping up without anything but a full contribution from their leading goal scorer. Even with him at full health, it's a tall order against the clear-cut Stanley Cup favorites.

Pick: Avalanche (-185)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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The Bell Centre will welcome 2,500 fans for Game 6 between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, marking the first NHL game in Canada with spectators since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's a small fraction of the rink's 21,302-seat capacity, but both teams are excited for a return to something close to the usual atmosphere of the league's oldest rivalry.

"It's going to be electric," Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield told Josh Clipperton of The Canadian Press. "You can just count on those fans to be passionate and dedicated to being behind us, giving every ounce of excitement they can."

Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner said his squad is also eager to play in front of fans.

"I'm sure there'll be some blue and white in there as well," he told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "We've played in front of fans before. It's going to be fun playing in front of people again and hear people actually cheer, so we're excited for it as well."

Quebec recently lifted the COVID-19 curfew that had been in place since January. Fans in attendance for Game 6 must socially distance themselves from people outside their groups, and the first 12 rows of the lower bowl will remain empty.

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The NHL's North Division commands wall-to-wall coverage in Canada, but stellar hockey is being played south of the border in front of spirited home crowds, a striking change from the regular season.

On cue for Round 2, we preview the postseason's next slate of American series. Here's a rundown of what's at stake, and key storylines and battles to monitor, in the East, Central, and West Division finals.

East Division: Boston vs. N.Y. Islanders

Six points in the standings separated this division's first and fourth playoff seeds, and now a couple of the NHL's stingiest defensive clubs get to square off for the East title.

The Bruins are undeniably more dynamic; that'll be true until older stars Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Krejci fall off. And the team probably improved more than anyone at the trade deadline, adding impact contributors Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly at the cost of a bottom-six forward, Anders Bjork, and two picks.

Kyle Palmieri was a nice acquisition for New York, but the Islanders are dangerous because they trust and execute Barry Trotz's system. They're workmanlike, bunker down in the defensive zone to inhibit shot quality, capitalize on counterattacks, and buck the idea that possession control is needed to thrive.

Take New York's six-game defeat over Pittsburgh. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins owned 58.92% of shot attempts at five-on-five but only 52.25% of high-danger chances, and they were outscored 18-12. One big reason was Ilya Sorokin, the 25-year-old rookie who authored a .943 save percentage (to Tristan Jarry's .888). Now, he'll encounter a formidable netminding foe in Tuukka Rask.

What's at stake: Beyond the question of how many runs Boston's thirtysomething core has left, how's this for a subplot: pending free agent Hall's quest for personal playoff success. The 11-year vet is drumming up something resembling momentum, if we ignore his woeful stint in Buffalo. He won his first career postseason series with Arizona last season (albeit in the bubbled play-in round) and scored twice to help the Bruins dispatch Washington in five games.

The Islanders want to build on the headway they've made under Trotz's command. They don't have a superstar on Alex Ovechkin's level, but the former Capitals coach's emphasis on team defense has powered the Isles to series victories three years running, including their surge to the 2020 Eastern Conference Final. They lost to Tampa Bay in six games that postseason, but a rematch in Round 3 or a trip to the Stanley Cup Final remains possible.

Boston's player to watch: Charlie McAvoy. If the Bruins are through to Round 3 by the time Norris Trophy finalists are announced on June 9, expect that their No. 1 defenseman dictated play. In the heavy minutes that McAvoy shouldered this year without Torey Krug or Zdeno Chara around, Boston outscored teams 50-32 at five-on-five, an elite figure. He assisted on all five of Boston's Round 1 power-play goals.

New York's player to watch: Josh Bailey. Brock Nelson's right-winger scored in double overtime against the Penguins and leads the Islanders in playoff assists and points (23 and 32 in 36 games) since Trotz's arrival. Mathew Barzal dazzles, but Bailey, Nelson, and Anthony Beauvillier are New York's safest bet to drive offense as a collective.

Central Division: Carolina vs. Tampa Bay

By the standings, the odds in this matchup tilt toward the Hurricanes, the divisional top seed whose defensive game is on par with Boston's and New York's. Spiritually, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have to be favored until a challenger unseats them.

Why not the Hurricanes? Nashville goalie Juuse Saros just pushed them to six overtime periods, but the 'Canes controlled 56.69% of five-on-five expected goals in the series, signaling good process. Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck, and Jordan Staal each center a wicked Carolina forward line. One compelling battle to track this round: Norris Trophy aspirant Dougie Hamilton seeking to outplay Victor Hedman, 2020's Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Carolina is deep, yet the Lightning remain stacked, and Nikita Kucherov dispelled against Florida the concern that he'd be slow to boot up following his return from hip surgery. Blame the Panthers' goalie carousel for conceding 22 goals in six games, but acknowledge Tampa's firepower, too. Eight forwards scored multiple first-round goals, including Steven Stamkos, the captain who saw only 2:47 of ice time during the Cup run.

What's at stake: The Bruins gave Carolina fits the past two postseasons, winning eight of nine games to stunt the Hurricanes' transition from up-and-comers to legit contenders. Ousting the Lightning would signify that this team has made the leap. Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Martin Necas are no longer playoff newcomers. Do any of them have a career performance in store?

Tampa Bay is gunning to become the Stanley Cup's second repeat victor this century, taking after Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. Consider it a golden opportunity before the bill's due. Twelve Lightning players earn more than $4.4 million annually; the club contorted below the salary cap by stashing Kucherov ($9.5 million) on long-term injured reserve for the entire season. Tougher decisions loom this summer.

Carolina's player to watch: Alex Nedeljkovic. No one's taking the Calder Trophy from Kirill Kaprizov's mitts, but 25-year-old Nedeljkovic was a revelation in net in his first full NHL campaign. His save percentage in 23 appearances was .932, the best in the league among regular starters. Per Evolving Hockey, only Marc-Andre Fleury and Connor Hellebuyck topped his mark of 12.92 goals saved above expectation.

If he dominates the Lightning as he did in three starts during the season - Nedeljkovic stopped 75 of 78 shots and posted a shutout - then hockey will crown a new champ this year.

Tampa Bay's player to watch: Alex Killorn. The Lightning have nailed their share of first-round draft picks since the 2005 lockout - Stamkos, Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy - and unearthed gem after overlooked gem later in the process. Kucherov and Brayden Point are studs, while Ondrej Palat and Anthony Cirelli were inspired finds.

Teams like the Panthers lose hope when guys like Killorn, the 77th pick in 2007, snare four goals and four assists in a series - two fewer points than he contributed to Tampa Bay's entire 2020 Cup charge. Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point will inevitably get their points. Let Killorn score at will, and Carolina's in trouble.

West Division: Colorado vs. Vegas

Bitter: This matchup is worthy of the Cup Final, let alone the second round. Sweet: After Joel Kiviranta's Game 7 hat trick booked Dallas - not Colorado - a playoff date with Vegas last summer, at least these powerhouses finally are meeting.

Little separated Colorado and Vegas in the regular season, though the Avalanche's edge in regulation wins broke a tie for the Presidents' Trophy. Colorado was first in the NHL in goals for, third in goals against, and - accounting for goal differential and schedule strength - a close second in Hockey Reference's Simple Rating System. Vegas was third, first, and first in those categories, respectively.

One distinction: Colorado's 60.08 expected goals percentage was by far the league's top mark, according to Natural Stat Trick's data. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog menace defenses together, but what separates Colorado from, say, Connor McDavid's Oilers is influential forward depth, plus the terrific blue-line corps that Cale Makar headlines and Devon Toews has fortified.

Philipp Grubauer was a top-10 goalie this season by save percentage and goals saved above average; he let in a mere seven goals on 110 shots (.936) as Colorado swept the Blues in Round 1. Minnesota, the Golden Knights' first opponent, really distressed Vegas, but Fleury's .931 save percentage over seven games was almost as pristine.

Although Max Pacioretty sat out the postseason's first six games, Mark Stone and top-line fill-in Alex Tuch combined to burn the Wild for seven goals. Pacioretty scoring and playing 16:28 in Game 7 was a welcome sight, considering how sorely Vegas missed his point-per-game touch in two shutout defeats.

What's at stake: Recent history dictates that Colorado has more riding on this matchup. The Avalanche have the core, the ascendant young talent, and the team-friendly superstar contract - MacKinnon is signed at $6.3 million through 2023 - to achieve staying power and compete for Cups annually. But they've lost consecutive second-round Game 7s and haven't reached Round 3 since 2002.

It only took three years for the playoffs to thrill, devastate, and vex the NHL's 31st franchise. The Golden Knights made the 2018 final as expansion darlings, crashed epically in a first-round Game 7 in 2019, and got stoned by Anton Khudobin in last year's Western Conference Final. This is their last shot to hoist the Cup before the Seattle Kraken debut.

Colorado's players to watch: Andre Burakovsky and Makar. The MacKinnon line is Colorado's greatest edge in this and any matchup. If the club's next-best scorers can pressure Fleury and swing possession in the Avalanche's favor, that would offset Vegas' signature strengths: goaltending and offensive variety.

Burakovsky was serviceable for half a decade in Washington, but the second-line winger rounded into a marksman once he was dealt to the Avs in 2019. He would have challenged for 30 goals had 2020-21 been a full season. At any rate, he tallied a career-high 0.83 points per game (44 in 53).

Makar has aced each of his NHL tests, starting with his 2019 playoff baptism out of college. The Golden Knights held him to two points in six games this season, and they're relentless when they hit top gear. Watching Makar try to pick them apart in the postseason should be tremendous fun.

Vegas' players to watch: Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. No need to strain to identify these difference-makers. Stone, the NHL takeaways king, tied for sixth in the league in five-on-five scoring in the regular season. His 37 points in that phase of the game bested Rantanen's 35 and MacKinnon's 34.

If Stone is the most potent scorer in the series, pencil Vegas in as the West Division champ and Stanley Cup favorite. The subtext here: That would require slowing MacKinnon, the forward Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez faced the most this year.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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