The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to bounce back from a three-game losing streak as they head into Rogers Place on Saturday night to face the Edmonton Oilers. After struggling to score during their recent slump, the Maple Leafs hope to break through against a tough Oilers squad. It might not be easy.
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The Maple Leafs and Oilers have a long-standing rivalry. Many would argue that these franchises are the face of hockey in English Canada. Both teams boast elite superstars; and, on any other night, this game would likely be expected to become a battle of offensive firepower. But the Maple Leafs haven’t held up their end of the bargain. For such a high-scoring team, they simply can’t score. Cold is an understatement.
Toronto’s challenge will be to solve Edmonton’s defense and get its stars back on track. Edmonton looks to continue its recent success and capitalize on the Maple Leafs’ struggles.
Item One: Can the Maple Leafs Break Their Scoring Drought?
The Maple Leafs’ offensive struggles have been evident during their losing skid. They’ve scored just one goal in each of their last three games. While that’s been part of head coach Craig Berube’s plan, he probably didn’t expect it to be this poor an offensive showing. He wanted to get a playoff-seasoned team used to playing tight and close games, but he didn’t want them to lose most of them.
Berube acknowledged his team’s challenges with execution in their recent 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. “When you’re not scoring and things aren’t going in, you take a little extra second to shoot and try to get a little bit too cute,” Berube explained. Despite outshooting the Wild 33-25, Toronto couldn’t convert on its chances, with the coach noting that it’s just a tough stretch that they’ll have to power through. If you’ve been following Berube’s critique of the team, you often hear the word “cute” as a pejorative. He despises “cute.”
One player to keep an eye on is Auston Matthews. The former Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner was held scoreless for the second straight game after a five-game goal streak. Matthews has been dominant for the Maple Leafs this season, scoring 11 goals and eight assists over his last 14 games. Can he rediscover his scoring touch and lead the Maple Leafs’ offense out of this dry spell?
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On the plus side, the Maple Leafs’ defense and goaltending have been steady through the team’s losses. They’ll need to continue that tonight. The team is nose-diving and needs more than strong shot totals to win in Edmonton.
The Maple Leafs’ offensive stars must start to deliver on this Western road swing. For as poorly as the Florida Panthers have been playing, they have retaken the lead in the Atlantic Division. And the Ottawa Senators are surging. Who would’ve thought they would be nipping at the heels of the Maple Leafs at this time of the season?
Item Two: Maple Leafs Fans Should Expect Someone Coming Back from Injury Tonight
The Maple Leafs could be getting a forward back from injury. They made a move involving Jacob Quillan. The 22-year-old was reassigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies on Friday, which suggests a roster spot is opening up for one of the injured forwards to return to the lineup for tonight’s game. While it’s unclear which player will be coming off the injured list, this move indicates that help is on its way.
Quillan, who made his NHL debut last Saturday, recorded no points and one hit in just 5:21 of ice time. In 35 AHL games this season with the Marlies, he’s registered six goals and 15 points. While his time in the NHL was brief, he didn’t look out of place. This reassignment paves the way for one of the team’s injured forwards to rejoin the team for tonight’s game.
Item Three: Speculating on Either Tavares or Knies Returning
The Maple Leafs should get an effective boost with the possible return of Matthew Knies and John Tavares. Both players have been dealing with injuries—Knies with an upper-body issue and Tavares with a lower-body injury. However, reports suggest they could be in the lineup tonight. Knies has missed the last two games, is expected to return after a brief stint on the injured list, and could slide back onto the top line.
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Tavares, who has been sidelined for six games, resumed skating earlier this week and seems ready to come back. If he could return to his regular spot as the team’s second-line center, that would be a massive boost to the missing scoring. During his absence, it’s obvious how important Tavares is to the team’s success. He’s been missed.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
If both Tavares and Knies return to the lineup, the Maple Leafs will gain a much-needed offensive boost. They likely hope these reinforcements can help ignite their offense, which has struggled during their losing streak. The truth is that I’ve frankly been surprised by the team’s lack of scoring. Is it a Berube system thing, or is the team really made up of aces and spaces, as the old bridge (the card game) saying goes?
