The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action tonight against the San Jose Sharks. They come into this game having won four of their last five and earned points in five of their last six. They are hoping to keep things rolling and continue their climb to the top of the Atlantic Division. Toronto is currently in fifth place, just five points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the top spot. This is a far cry from being 27th in the entire NHL back in the middle of November.
Related: NHL Analyst Provides Surprising Update on Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev
They are also coming off a shutout by Dennis Hildeby. That was his first NHL shutout, capping off a great stretch of play for him since he re-joined the Maple Leafs. As he looks to extend the shutout streak, he will have to do it against the high-paced Sharks, who are one of the youngest teams in the league. They also have Macklin Celebrini, who has been on an absolute tear this season. The good thing is, if Toronto can contain him, they have a very high chance of winning this game.
Maple Leafs News:
The Maple Leafs are without Bobby McMann tonight as he serves his one-game suspension for high-sticking Oliver Bjorkstrand on Tuesday night against the Lightning. He was given a match penalty on the play and later received a one-game ban for his actions. It also looks like William Nylander has been demoted to the third line alongside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua. This comes after he went pointless in his last four games. Nicholas Robertson is expected back in the lineup on the second line.
In other news, the Maple Leafs made a roster move yesterday. Dakota Mermis was placed on the IR, and Henry Thurn was called up. Mermis was injured in the game against the Lightning when he took a knee-on-knee hit and needed to be helped off the ice. That play actually led to McMann high-sticking Bjorkstrand in the helmet. Lastly, Joseph Woll was back on the ice yesterday, though he left before practice started. Nevertheless, it’s a good sign for the Maple Leafs, as he appears close to returning and hopefully won’t have to shake off too much rust when he rejoins the lineup
Team Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Season Record: 13-11-4 ( 32 pts)
Top Scorers:
- William Nylander – 11 G, 21 A, 32 P
- John Tavares – 13 G, 17 A, 30 P
- Matthew Knies – 7 G, 21 A, 28 P
- Morgan Rielly – 5 G, 17 A, 22 P
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson – 4 G, 16 A, 20 P
Goalie Stats:
- Anthony Stolarz – 6-5-1, 3.51 GAA, .884 SV%
- Joseph Woll – 4-3-1, 2.44 GAA, .928 SV%
- Dennis Hildeby – 2-2-2, 1 SO, 2.15 GAA, .936 SV%
San Jose Sharks
Season Record: 14-14-23 (31 pts)
Top Scorers:
- Macklin Celebrini – 15 G, 28 A, 43 P
- Will Smith – 12 G, 17 A, 29 P
- William Eklund – 7 G, 11 A, 18 P
- Tyler Toffoli – 7 G, 11 A, 18 P
- Dmitry Orlov – 0 G, 16 A, 16 P
Goalie Stats:
- Yaroslav Askarov – 10-8-1, 3.14 GAA, .903 SV%
- Alex Nedeljkovic – 4-6-2, 3.02 GAA, .899 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
7 p.m. ET; TSN4, NBCSCA
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Mathew Knies — Auston Matthews — Max Domi
Easton Cowan — John Tavares — Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok
Dakota Joshua — Nicolas Roy — William Nylander
Morgan Rielly — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jake McCabe — Troy Stecher
Simon Benoit — Henry Thrun
Dennis Hildeby
Artur Akhtyamov
Scratched: Matias Maccelli, Philippe Myers
Injured: Chris Tanev (upper body), Auston Matthews (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (upper body), Brandon Carlo (lower body), Joseph Woll (lower body), Dakota Mermis (lower body)
Suspended: Bobby McMann
Sharks projected lineup
Collin Graf — Macklin Celebrini — Will Smith
William Eklund — Alexander Wennberg — Tyler Toffoli
Jeff Skinner — Ty Dellandrea — Philipp Kurashev
Barclay Goodrow — Adam Gaudette — Ryan Reaves
Dmitry Orlov — Timothy Liljegren
Mario Ferraro — Shakir Mukhamadullin
Sam Dickinson — John Klingberg
Alex Nedeljkovic
Yaroslav Askarov
Scratched: Vincent Iorio, Nick Leddy, Zack Ostapchuk
Injured: Vincent Desharnais (upper body)
