For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
*******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.*******
The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped their four-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday and now will face their greatest test of the young season facing the red-hot Boston Bruins on Saturday. The Leafs Atlantic Division rival has won seven in a row and is tied for top spot in the NHL standings with a 10-1 record, including a comeback 6-5 overtime win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The Leafs appear to be preparing for a spirited contest on Saturday with the always feisty Bruins, as they demoted defenseman Filip Kral and called up veteran forward Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds slotted in on a third-line unit with Calle Jarnkrok (moving to center in place of Pontus Holmberg) and Pierre Engvall.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe also revamped the club’s defensive pairings with Timothy Liljegren fresh off the injured reserve list. Liljegren replaced Victor Mete on the top pairing with Morgan Rielly, while the other pairings (TJ Brodie-Justin Holl, Mark Giordano-Rasmus Sandin) remained the same.
This could be the group of six for the foreseeable future, as the news regarding injured veteran Jake Muzzin does not sound encouraging. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Muzzin traveled to California to see a specialist regarding the neck injury that occurred against Arizona on October 17. Muzzin is 33 and a history of concussions, which calls into question what long-lasting effects will happen if he returns and gets injured again.
Johnston says that Toronto could be looking to address the voluminous hole on their blueline if Muzzin cannot return with his $5.625 million salary placed on LTIR, but the trade market for defenseman in early November is not brisk and any acquisition may have to wait until later in the season to occur.
*******