The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action tonight against one of their biggest rivals, the Boston Bruins. This Original Six matchup is always one of the best to watch, but when it’s on a Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada, it hits a little different.
Related: Maple Leafs Suspend Kampf Without Pay For Leaving the Toronto Marlies
The Maple Leafs are looking to stretch their winning streak to four games. They’ve beaten the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Utah Mammoth in their last three, showing steady improvement along the way. They dominated the Flyers, stole a win against the Penguins with a strong third period, and then handled the Mammoth with a solid all-around effort. Things are trending in the right direction. Their stars are playing like stars, and it’s starting to show.
Tonight’s puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and can be viewed on CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NESN.
Maple Leafs News:
The team announced that they have placed Cayden Primeau on waivers. This move comes as Joseph Woll prepares to return to the NHL. Woll, who has been away on a leave of absence, will report to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League for a conditioning stint. With Primeau on waivers and Woll in the AHL, Dennis Hildeby has been called up to serve as the backup and will likely start tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes.
On defense, Chris Tanev returned to practice after leaving last Saturday’s game against the Flyers on a stretcher. His head and neck injury was not a concussion, and seeing him back skating is a great sign. The team also sent rookie Easton Cowan down to the AHL with Scott Laughton returning to the lineup. Laughton made his season debut against the Mammoth on Wednesday night. Cowan was the only waiver-eligible player who could be reassigned, and this move gives him a chance to play 20 plus minutes a night on the Marlies top line.
Lastly, the David Kampf situation continues to unfold. According to Darren Dreger, Kampf and his agent are expected to make a decision by Monday on his future. For now, he remains suspended by the team without pay. It is starting to look more and more likely that his contract will be terminated, which would make him a free agent and allow him to sign elsewhere.
Team Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Season Record: 8-5-1 (17 pts)
Top Scorers:
- William Nylander – 6 G, 14 A, 20 P
- John Tavares – 7 G, 11 A, 18 P
- Matthew Knies – 5 G, 13 A, 18 P
- Auston Matthews – 8 G, 4 A, 12 P
- Morgan Rielly – 2 G, 8 A, 10 P
Goalie Stats:
Anthony Stolarz – 6-4-1, 3.11 GAA, .895 SV%
Dennis Hildeby – 2-2-1, 2.74 GAA, .890 SV% *AHL Stats*
Boston Bruins
Season Record: 9-7-0 (18 pts)
Top Scorers:
- David Pastrnak – 7 G, 11 A, 18 P
- Pavel Zacha – 4 G, 10 A, 14 P
- Morgan Geekie – 10 G, 3 A, 13 P
- Charlie McAvoy – 0 G, 12 A, 12 P
- Elias Lindholm – 4 G, 5 A, 9 P
Goalie Stats:
Jeremy Swayman – 5-4-0, 3.10 GAA, .897 SV%
Joonas Korpisalo – 4-3-0, 3.24 GAA, .885 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — William Nylander
Bobby McMann — John Tavares — Nicholas Robertson
Dakota Joshua — Nicolas Roy — Matias Maccelli
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Max Domi
Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Jake McCabe
Simon Benoit — Philippe Myers
Anthony Stolarz
Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Calle Jarnkrok, Sammy Blais, Dakota Mermis, Cayden Primeau
Injured: Chris Tanev (upper body)
Boston Bruins Projected Lineup
Morgan Geekie — Marat Khusnutdinov — David Pastrnak
Alex Steeves — Pavel Zacha — Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot — Fraser Minten — Mark Kastelic
Jeffrey Viel — Sean Kuraly — Michael Eyssimont
Nikita Zadorov — Henri Jokiharju
Hampus Lindholm — Andrew Peeke
Mason Lohrei — Jonathan Aspirot
Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Charlie McAvoy
Injured: Elias Lindholm (lower body), Jordan Harris (surgery), Casey Mittelstadt (lower body), Johnny Beecher (upper body)
