The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to continue to have success on home ice against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. The Leafs have gone 5-2-0 at Air Canada Center, but have lost seven of their eight games on the road.
Based on line rushes and defensive pairings at the club’s morning skate, the Leafs are expected to make two lineup changes. Ben Smith will replace Peter Holland on the fourth line with Matt Martin and Nikita Soshnikov and defenseman Roman Polak will step back into the lineup in place of Frank Corrado and will pair with Jake Gardiner.
Forward Zach Hyman, who did not practice at MasterCard Center on Monday without forward Zach Hyman, participated in the morning skate and will play on the left side with Auston Matthews and Connor Brown.
Head coach Mike Babcock spoke about Matthews and his maturation after the morning skate and feels that the 19-year-old top overall pick (who has just two assists in his last nine games) is learning the proper way to play up the middle and is on the precipice of being an impact player in spite of his recent offensive struggles.
“in our situation, we need Matthews to be a dominant, dominant center for us. We think he’s going to be by Christmastime.” Babcock said. “We think he’s a very good player already, but we think he can be lights out with and without the puck.”
Frederik Andersen will make his seventh consecutive start for the Leafs. After struggling in October, Andersen has gone 4-2-0 in November. Predators head coach Peter Laviolette indicated Tuesday morning that goalie Pekka Rinne would not play against Toronto due to an unspecified injury and that backup Marek Mazanec will get the start in goal.
Mazanec has started only one game for Nashville this season and is 0-1-0, with a 5.06 GAA and .806 save percentage.
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The lineup for the
NHL Centennial Classic Alumni Game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings was unveiled on Tuesday.
The game will take place at BMO Field in Toronto on December 31, 2016 prior to the game between the Leafs and Wings on New Year’s Day.
The Maple Leafs roster includes:
Goalies: Mike Palmateer, Curtis Joseph and Felix Potvin
Defense: Tomas Kaberle, Dave Ellett, Bryan McCabe, Borje Salming*, Dmitri Yushkevich, Al Iafrate and Bob McGill
Forwards: Darryl Sittler*, Doug Gilmour*, Rick Vaive, Darcy Tucker, Wendel Clark, Lanny McDonald*, Gary Roberts, Dave Andreychuk, Dave “Tiger” Williams, Tie Domi, Steve Thomas, Gary Leeman and Mats Sundin*
* = Hockey Hall of Famer
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Leafs 2015 draft pick Adam Brooks was named WHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 13th on Monday. The 20-year-old center registered one goal and five assists in two games for the Regina Pats.
Brooks, selected in the fourth round (92nd overall) by Toronto in 2016 has 25 points (7 goals, 18 assists) in 11 games, the least amount of games played of any player in the WHL’s top 20 scorers.
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Listen to the Blue N’ White Tonight Podcast with radio host and author Jim Lang, the co-writer of the books "Shift Work" and "Bleeding Blue"... biographies of Toronto Maple Leafs greats Tie Domi and Wendel Clark.
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