Marc-Andre Fleury played all seven games of Vegas' first-round series versus the Minnesota Wild, posting a 1.71 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
The switch to Lehner appears to be a coach's decision as Fleury isn't known to be battling any injuries.
Lehner posted a 2.29 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 19 regular-season contests this campaign. His last outing was on March 10 against the Avalanche.
Vegas rotated its goalies every other game during the regular season when both were healthy. The duo shared the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league.
Less than a week ago, a not-insignificant portion of NHL fans and media (myself included) were convinced the Toronto Maple Leafs had the Montreal Canadiens right where they wanted them: Down 3-1 in a first-round playoff series and frantically searching for answers ahead of Game 5 in Toronto.
Then, the Habs were the more opportunistic, steady team in Games 5 and 6. They deserved to win two straight - and did - and now, with Game 7 set for Monday night, all the goodwill the Leafs built up over the first four games is gone. It's Toronto who's frantically searching for answers.
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
Will the Leafs reverse course, or is this the latest collapse in the franchise's tortured history? Will the Habs complete the comeback, or is this just a matter of an underdog pushing a series to seven games but no further?
These questions are why sport is the greatest form of reality TV.
Here are the top-five storylines for what could be a Game 7 for the ages.
5. The early edge
The Habs have done one of two things in the opening frame of each game: Dictated play and opened the scoring, or kept the Leafs honest by heading into the intermission with, at worst, an even score. They've carved out a 4-1 advantage in goals and lead 63-56 in shots over those six first periods.
In the second frame, the Leafs have responded with a commanding 11-2 advantage in goals and 90-48 advantage in shots, while Toronto has strung together a 5-3 lead in goals in the third period despite getting outshot 61-46.
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
Period-by-period breakdowns aren't usually super instructive or useful. However, this may be an exception to the rule, given the persuasive evidence and toll a weak start in Game 7 could have on the Leafs' collective psyche.
Can you imagine what kind of thoughts might enter the minds of longtime Leafs Morgan Rielly, Zach Hyman, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner - heck, everybody on the bench - if the Habs once again push play in the first 20 minutes Monday and/or open the scoring?
For whatever reason, the Leafs didn't seem focused at the start of Game 5; perhaps they were dreaming of a second-round meeting with the Winnipeg Jets. In Game 6, the presence of fans in the building for the first time in more than a year probably had a psychological effect; it's hard to say for certain.
Monday will be a different environment altogether, of course. There'll be no time to warm up to the moment - no room for error - because regrouping with a 3-1 or 3-2 series lead is far easier than regrouping in a do-or-die Game 7.
4. Price vs. Campbell
Goaltending was a bit of a wild card going into this Leafs-Habs matchup.
Interestingly, it's become arguably the most reliable position for each club, with Montreal's Carey Price entering Playoff Price mode and Toronto's Jack Campbell picking up where he left off following a breakout regular season.
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Neither netminder has been dominant, per se, but both have saved their team's bacon on more than a few occasions. Take Game 6 - Campbell was seemingly the only Leaf to show up for the first period, and in overtime, Price turned aside 13 shots in the lead-up to Jesperi Kotkaniemi's game-winner.
Overall, Price has been slightly better, at least according to MoneyPuck.com's goals saved above expected statistic. Prior to Sunday's games, Price boasted a 5.6 rating, ranking him third among the 14 goalies who appeared in four playoff games or more. Campbell (3.8) sat fourth on the list.
Based on reputation and experience, the smart money is on Price - winner of Hart and Vezina trophies and owner of an Olympic gold medal - outdueling Campbell on Monday. Then again, it's nearly impossible to handicap single-game goaltending. One bounce can change the direction of an entire contest and, with the heat turned up in Game 7, momentum likely will swing wildly.
3. Potential Muzzin void
Kevin Sousa / Getty Images
Jake Muzzin leaving Game 6 with an injury was as big a blow as the loss itself.
The 32-year-old blue-liner is the glue that holds Toronto's defense corps together, and now he's dealing with an apparent groin injury that may keep him out of Game 7. If the Leafs advance to the second round, his status becomes an even larger story with a rested and healthy Jets squad waiting.
The immediate conundrum isn't only about who might fill Muzzin's spot in the lineup (probably youngster Rasmus Sandin). It's also about how his 21-plus minutes might be dispersed in Game 7. All of a sudden, ice time for top-pair guys Rielly and T.J. Brodie could be through the roof, and Justin Holl, Muzzin's partner on the second pair, could be tasked with a heightened role.
Mark Blinch / Getty Images
Of note up front for the Leafs: Nick Foligno doesn't appear to be 100%, Joe Thornton has been ineffective most of the series, and Alex Galchenyuk has been hot and cold. Does coach Sheldon Keefe slide trade deadline pickup Riley Nash into the bottom-six and take one of them out (Foligno likely stays in but the possibility remains) after sitting Nash for Games 2, 4, 5, and 6?
Boy, a team's depth can get tested quickly in the playoffs. While William Nylander's terrific play (series-high four goals) doesn't necessarily show it, the Leafs are really missing injured captain John Tavares heading into Game 7.
2. The Caufield factor
Cole Caufield is one of those players who's so obviously talented with the puck that even somebody watching him for the first time can identify his offensive chops. He's surely turned a lot of heads outside Quebec this series.
Caufield will probably score 40 goals in an NHL season one day. He was a prolific scorer at every amateur level, and he bagged seven in his first 12 regular-season games as a pro (10 in the NHL and two in the AHL). No big deal.
So far versus the Leafs, zilch; the Wisconsin native has yet to capitalize on myriad scoring opportunities in the four games he's drawn into Montreal's lineup. He's dinged the crossbar twice - in the first period of Game 3 and then in the second frame of Game 6 - and recorded his first career playoff point off a nifty give-and-go with sophomore Hab Nick Suzuki on the Game 5 winner.
Mark Blinch / Getty Images
Kotkaniemi, Montreal's other young stud forward, enjoyed his big moment with an overtime tally in Game 6. So will Game 7 be Caufield's night? At five-on-five among Habs forwards, he ranks third in shots on goal per 60 minutes, fifth in shot attempts per 60, and fourth in scoring chances per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. In other words, it feels like the 5-foot-7 sniper's due.
1. Matthews and Marner
Nobody's reputations are hanging in the balance quite like Nos. 34 and 16 on Toronto. Matthews, the sport's best goal scorer, has just one goal in six games. Marner, one of the sport's top playmakers, has collected four assists.
Matthews has been fairly dangerous, racking up a series-high 2.6 expected goals during five-on-five play, per Natural Stat Trick. He's a career 16.2% shooter in the regular season, but he's shooting 3.1% in all situations this series on 32 shots on goal. Needless to say, Matthews' process ultimately doesn't matter if he can't produce actual goals when his team needs him most.
Marner, on the other hand, has looked out of sorts pretty much from the series' opening faceoff. He seems afraid to shoot the puck, even when it's on his stick and he's staring down a prime scoring opportunity. The 24-year-old winger hit a low with a puck-over-glass penalty late in Game 6.
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Four first-round exits in the past four seasons have set the stage for questions about the two superstars' killer instincts - or lack thereof. And if the Leafs can't win Game 7 against the Habs, the current chatter around these two core pieces could very well evolve into outright kicking and screaming. It won't be without sustenance, either, seeing as Matthews and Marner are paid a combined $22.5 million annually to guide their team deep into the postseason.
How will Leafs Nation and the greater hockey world view Matthews and Marner if they produce in Game 7 and Toronto advances? Admirably, no doubt. These are likable young men who are exceptionally gifted. Monday presents an incredible opportunity for both of them. Can they seize it?
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. You can follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) and contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com)
The Vancouver Canucks signed forward prospect Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Sunday.
"Vasily is a competitor who plays an aggressive game," general manager Jim Benning said. "He's effective using his size and skill to get to the net and produce offensively. We're pleased to sign him today and look forward to adding him to our young core of skilled players."
Vancouver drafted Podkolzin 10th overall in 2019. He recorded 11 points over 35 games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL this past season, adding 11 points in 16 playoff contests.
The 19-year-old has also suited up for Russia during the past three world juniors.
Friedman added Jones could always change his mind, but it appears he wants to test the open market.
Jones is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career following the 2021-22 season. He'd be permitted to sign an extension with Columbus once the current campaign ends.
The 26-year-old currently makes $5.4 million per season. Jones has been a top-pairing defenseman most of his career and is likely to fetch a handsome payday in free agency, but his underlying numbers this past season indicate some red flags.
Last summer I was skeptical about Seth Jones' obvious talent translating to top-level on-ice results. Even I didn't see his disastrous 2020-21 season coming. #CBJpic.twitter.com/kGvJJzSePZ
Jones was drafted fourth overall by the Nashville Predators in 2013 and traded to the Blue Jackets during the 2015-16 season. He's notched 223 points in 381 games with Columbus and was a second-team All-Star in 2018.
Columbus could trade Jones this offseason for max value while he still has a year left on his contract, but it would have to work around his 10-team no-trade list.
The Blue Jackets have had several star players leave the club via free agency in recent years, including Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene. Pierre-Luc Dubois demanded a trade out of Columbus earlier this season as well.
"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.
Nick Foligno said he "knows it's not what the fanbase wants to hear right now" but that sometimes situations like these, "it happens for a reason, sometimes this is what catapults you."
"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.
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
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
No. 3 Boston Bruins vs. No. 4 New York Islanders
Game
Home
Date
Time
2
Bruins
May 31
7:30 p.m.
3
Islanders
June 3
7:30 p.m.
4
Islanders
June 5
7:15 p.m.
5*
Bruins
June 7
TBD
6*
Islanders
June 9
TBD
7*
Bruins
June 11
TBD
Central Division
John Russell / National Hockey League / Getty
No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning
Game
Home
Date
Time
1
Hurricanes
May 30
5 p.m.
2
Hurricanes
June 1
7:30 p.m.
3
Lightning
June 3
8 p.m.
4
Lightning
June 5
4 p.m.
5*
Hurricanes
June 8
TBD
6*
Lightning
June 10
TBD
7*
Hurricanes
June 12
TBD
West Division
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 2 Vegas Golden Knights
Game
Home
Date
Time
1
Avalanche
May 30
8 p.m.
2
Avalanche
June 2
10 p.m.
3
Golden Knights
June 4
10 p.m.
4
Golden Knights
June 6
8:30 p.m.
5*
Avalanche
June 8
TBD
6*
Golden Knights
June 10
TBD
7*
Avalanche
June 12
TBD
North Division
Darcy Finley / National Hockey League / Getty
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
Game
Home
Date
Time
1
Maple Leafs
June 2
7:30 p.m.
2
Maple Leafs
June 4
7:30 p.m.
3
Jets
June 6
6 p.m.
4
Jets
June 7
TBD
5*
Maple Leafs
June 9
TBD
6*
Jets
June 11
TBD
7*
Maple Leafs
June 13
TBD
If Montreal Canadiens win Round 1 vs. Winnipeg Jets
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.
