Arizona Coyotes @ Toronto Maple Leafs

07:00 PM at Scotiabank Arena

Watch on: SNO, SNW, BSAZ

Opponent’s Site: Five For Howling

The Leafs last game was at home on October 15 against the Ottawa Senators, and the Leafs won by a score of 3-2. The Leafs have a record of 2 - 1 - 0 so far.

Maple Leafs beat the Senators in the last minute

The Arizona Coyotes last played an away game on October 15 against the Boston Bruins. The Coyotes lost by a score of 6-3, and their current league record is 0 - 2 - 0.

Them

Press discussion of the Coyotes has focused lately on what Nick Ritchie brings to the top power play unit and how his net-front play is their major asset there. What got him signed by the Leafs works in Arizona.

The Coyotes are not trying to be good, and I don’t see any reason for pretence otherwise. I’m not opposed to tanking, I’m just alarmed by any team that does it for a decade (or longer) and media who play a PR game of helping to pretend that’s not what they’re doing.

Jakob Chychrun is still out, no one else on this team is really worth talking about other than Karel Vejmelka, their starter. He has made 84 saves in two games. You can also look at his results and say he gave up 11 goals. But 84 saves. Two games.

Lines

From Daily Faceoff, who are basing it off the Coyotes last game.

Lawson Crouse - Travis Boyd - Clayton Keller
Nick Ritchie - Barrett Hayton - Dylan Guenther
Matias Maccelli - Jack McBain - Zach Kassian
Liam O’Brien - Nick Bjugstad - Christian Fischer

Janis Moser - Troy Stecher
Shayne Gostisbehere - Josh Brown
Dysin Mayo - Connor Timmins

Karel Vejmelka
Connor Ingram

Us

For all the excitement of losing Matt Murray and the players being recalled, the Leafs are not in some sort of crisis. They’ve got a great reprieve from the cap crunch, but Murray is likely very upset at this setback in his comeback.

William Nylander took Sunday’s practice off, which wasn’t anything serious. but he skipped morning skate and is said to be still under the weather. Everyone is assuming Nick Robertson draws in to his line.

Playing Erik Källgren so soon is interesting, but job one has to be keeping Ilya Samsonov healthy, so now is a good time for Källgren to take a start.

Lines

Edited:

Never assume!

Michael Bunting - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
William Nylander - John Tavares - Denis Malgin
Pierre Engvall - Alex Kerfoot - Calle Järnkrok
Zach Aston-Reese - David Kämpf - Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

Morgan Rielly - TJ Brodie
Jake Muzzin - Justin Holl
Mark Giordano - Rasmus Sandin

Ilya Samsonov
Erik Källgren - presumed starter

The Game

Arizona on the road is supposed to be the closest to a gimme you get. Moneypuck.com has the day’s odds on the front page, and that says it all.

Shit happens in hockey, as Auston Matthews has told us, but if the Leafs lose this, they’re gonna have to beat themselves.

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