For the latest Leafs updates, Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs return home after an unsuccessful road trip to face the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights, but may have to do it without leading scorer Auston Matthews. The 20-year-old center was on the ice for the club’s morning skate at Air Canada Centre on Monday, but left after line rushes and did not return. Head coach Mike Babcock stated that Matthews playing against the expansion Golden Knights is a game-time decision due to soreness from an unspecified injury that occurred after the 6-4 loss to St.Louis on Saturday. Toronto (8-7-0) have lost six of their last eight games and continue to alter their lineup and line combinations in hopes of finding some of the success they enjoyed at the start of the season. William Nylander, who played center for the first time since the 2015-16 season against the Blues, took Matthews place between Zach Hyman and Connor Brown and may replace the Calder Trophy winner if he cannot play. Babcock reunited the veteran line of Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov and Patrick Marleau for the first of three home games this week and kept the surprisingly productive Matt Martin, Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner line together, but with Marleau moving back to the wing, Dominic Moore took his place up the middle, between James van Riemsdyk and Josh Leivo. The Leafs made no changes on defense, with Morgan Rielly skating with Ron Hainsey, Jake Gardiner paired with Nikita Zaitsev and rookie Andreas Borgman playing with Connor Carrick. Frederik Andersen (7-6-0, 3.48 GAA, .895 Sv %) occupied the home net and will make his 14th start of the season. The Leafs goaltender played well in the California portion of the road trip, but fell victim to a lackadaisical Toronto effort against the Blues. The Golden Knights (9-4-0) pose a difficult hurdle for Toronto, as they have been outworked most of their opponents all season and are 3-3 on the road. Vegas will go with Maxime Lagace (1-3-0, 4.43 GAA, .856 Sv %), who earned his first NHL victory in a 5-4 win in Ottawa on Saturday. Lagace is one of four Golden Knights goaltenders (Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban and Oscar Dansk) to register victories for the expansion club. Former Leaf Brendan Leipsic is expected to replace William Carrier in the Golden Knights lineup on Monday. Leipsic has four assists in eight games for Vegas this season.
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Toronto Marlies forward Mason Marchment was named the American Hockey League Player of the Week on Monday.
Marchment scored seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in three victories for the Marlies over Laval, Hershey and Lehigh Valley last week.
Marchment is in his second season with the Leafs organization, but is signed to an AHL contract. The 22-year-old has 11 points (5 goals and 6) in nine games for the Marlies. *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******