The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off a shootout win against the newest team in the NHL and it was an important one after a tough road trip and home loss to the Blues.
Happy 93rd birthday to Johnny Bower, the winner of four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs. What a legend Bower is in Leafs Nation, he was nicknamed “The China Wall… for anyone who didn’t know.
Unforunately for the Leafs they will be without superstar Auston Matthews. This will be the first game Matthews has missed since being drafted by the Leafs. He will certainly be missed by the team as he leads the Buds with 19 points in 16 games played. Matthews’ line has been dominant overall and has been on the positive side in just about every game; Auston is a solid +14.
The team as a whole will have to step up.
Matthews is not replaceable in any which way and the Leafs most certainly want to get him healthy and back in the lineup as soon as possible. Matthews resting tonight is an obvious indication that he’s got something irritating him as he was questionable against Vegas on Monday night’s game.
Babcock will have to shuffle his lineup accordingly and the Leafs will have to get prepared for a game without their best player. There is no doubt they have enough firepower upfront to get on the board, so they will have to play a smart game defensively to make up for the loss of big Auston. It sure would be heartbreaking having a ticket to tonight’s game and Matthews is hurt, bummer for many I’m sure. Let’s hope Matthews heals up quickly.
Toronto will be squaring off against the Minnesota Wild at 7:30 tonight and have been scoring in bunches on home ice. The problem on home ice has been goaltending and lack of defense. Andersen is posting ugly stats at the Air Canada Centre; 4.1 GAA and a .869 save percent. He has to be better and so do the Maple Leafs defense; which of course includes the forwards doing their job as well. Every once in a while it seems the Leafs have an awful game coughing up turnover after turnover. This is exactly what has put them into the defensive nightmare that has snowballed since the beginning of the season.
Devan Dubnyk will be in net for the Wild and he too has not been the greatest between the pipes this season. Dubnyk is 1-3-0 on the road with a 3.88 GAA and a .886 save percent.
Look for another big game from Nazem Kadri. He’s been better and better as Mike Babcock has Kadri playing the best hockey of his life and you can bet the Leafs center will want to show some leadership and elevate his play to try and help out with the loss of Matthews presence in tonight’s game.
Marner has been playing better and better as of late and it wouldn’t be surprising to see his ice time go up in tonight’s game. Babcock is going to have to work some magic tonight with his lines.
Let’s hope the boys can gather up another two points with a victory on home ice.
Go Leafs Go!
Thanks for reading.