Preview: New Year New Panthers vs Maple Leafs

Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs
07:00 PM at Scotiabank Arena
Watch on: TVAS, SNO, BSFL

Opponent’s Site: Litter Box Cats

The Leafs last game was an away game on January 14 against the Boston Bruins, which Toronto lost by a score of 4-3. The Leafs have a record of 26-11-7 so far.

The Florida Panthers last played an away game on January 16 against the Buffalo Sabres. The Panthers won by a score of 4-1, and their current league record is 21-20-4.

Them

For much of the season the Panthers have vastly underperformed on their expected goals. They’ve scored 15 fewer goals than their offense would expect to get, and allowed nine more goals than their defense would expect. Playing 24 goals behind their ability (with a .985 PDO) has essentially knocked them out of the playoff race before the calendar could even flip over.

But that’s not necessarily the Panthers the Leafs are going to see tonight. As the team has gotten healthy and they’ve figured some things out, results have improved. In their last 10 games the Panthers have an even PDO (1) and they’re playing closer to what we would’ve expected out of them at the beginning of the season.

That said, they’re not what they were last year, demolishing the league in offense. They’re last 10 games are still very much in the mushy middle when it comes to shots and goals rates for and against. As are the Leafs, to be fair.

So it just figures the Panthers are having their dead cat moment just as the Leafs begin their four-game season series with them over the next three or so months.

That said, the Panthers are coming into Toronto tonight on the second game of a back to back with travel and are playing their backup goalie, Spencer Knight, who’s having another very mediocre season.

Lines

Jameson Olive from last game via Daily Faceoff

Anton Lundell - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Grigori Denisenko - Eetu Luostarinen - Nick Cousins
Ryan Lomberg - Eric Staal - Givani Smith

Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Marc Staal - Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura - Radko Gudas

Sergei Bobrovsky - confirmed starter
Alex Lyon

Us

The Leafs have a flu going around the team as Pontus Holmberg and now Rasmus Sandin are out with illnesses. Dryden Hunt is back after he presumably missed a few games on the toilet. Bobby McMann is also playing, hoping to get his second first career NHL goal.

The top six is intact as the Leafs shuffle around their bottom six in order to have a 4C who can actually play centre. This is another reason why I think the Leafs should look into acquiring a 4C (in a package with whatever big acquisition they want) to help solidify that spot next to or behind Holmberg.

Related

Injury update: Nick Robertson done for the year

Lines

Michael Bunting - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Calle Järnkrok - John Tavares - Mitch Marner
Bobby McMann - David Kämpf - Pierre Engvall
Zach Aston-Reese - Alex Kerfoot - Dryden Hunt

Morgan Rielly - Timothy Liljegren
Mark Giordano - Justin Holl
Jordie Benn - Conor Timmins

Matt Murray - confirmed starter
Ilya Samsonov

The Game

Toronto vs Florida