Emergency Situation Forces Maple Leafs to Dress Shorthanded Lineup Against Canadiens

It's been a rough year for Toronto this season, and the injuries the team has felt all year range from a simple one game absence in the case of Mitch Marner, or basically the entirety of the season as is the case with Jani Hakanpaa. The amount of games lost is staggering, and it doesn't bode well for the playoffs either.

It also doesn't bode well for the team come Saturday night either. Going into a bitter rivalry clash with the Montreal Canadiens, the team is going to have to put an extra emphasis on parking the bus and making sure that their team is more defensively sound than ever.

They're going to have to deal with only five defenders after the injuries to Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the continuing ailments of Jake McCabe.

It's not news that fans or Craig Berube wants to hear, as he already has a sore spot on the back end with a lack of depth in the position.

Philippe Myers is already in, and an injured Jani Hakanpaa was skating in place of Ekman-Larsson; something that won't be a reality for any game scenario.

More than likely, the Maple Leafs will try and call up someone like a Dakota Mermis or Marshall Rifai; two players who have often been the subject of call-ups but haven't found any actual playing time with the team.

They are fine in a pinch, but in a long-term situation is going to make Toronto's defense look less like an NHL team and more like one that's filled with some misfits who otherwise wouldn't have a spot on a roster.

They're probably also hurting from trading Timothy Liljegren earlier this season, and while he wouldn't be a massive improvement, he's been good since being in San Jose and would have been a perfect replacement for either McCabe or Ekman-Larsson.

Toronto could potentially see Matt Benning, the player traded for Liljegren, get a shot though it's more than likely they'd focus on some of their homegrown prospects.

Don't expect Montreal to take their foot off the gas either, with playoff implications hanging in the balance, and a hungry and motivated team (not to mention their new addition) that will be dangerous in only a short time.

It means the Maple Leafs can't get complacent, and regardless of who dresses, they need to show that they can handle any pressure thrown their way.

Because if this happens come playoff time? It's going to be tough to watch them take the ice knowing the result is going to be the exact same thing: Another first round exit.