Toronto Maple Leafs at Chicago Blackhawks - Game #3

Time: 7:00PM

Location: United Center

Broadcast/Streaming: NHLN, SN, SN360, TVAS, NBCSCH, NHL.TV

Opponent SBNation Site: Second City Hockey

In Game 1, the Leafs got out-shot and out-played by a team most people in hockey consider to be bad, and they won.

In Game 2, the Leafs out-shot and out-played a team most people in hockey consider to be bad, and they lost.

So here comes Game 3, where the Leafs are playing a team most people in hockey consider to be bad. What’s going to happen this time? Are they going to play well and lose? Are they going to play like crap and win? Will it be a combination of the two? Who knows!

Toronto Maple Leafs

As of yet, we have no idea if the Leafs will be making any changes to their skaters in the first back-to-back of the season. If it helps in anyway, the Marlies played for the second time in as many games (with travel) and iced an almost identical lineup in both.

Will we see Justin Holl, Martin Marincin, or Frederik Gauthier? Keeping with the theme of the day, who knows!

WILL WE SEE WILLIAM NY-- Stop stop, it’s not happening it’s... *cries into gravy boat*

UPDATE: THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE HAVE A MARMAR SIGHTING!

Forwards

Patrick Marleau - Auston Matthews - Tyler Ennis
Zach Hyman - John Tavares (still laugh seeing this) - Mitchell Marner
Josh Leivo (still laugh seeing this) - Nazem Kadri - Connor Brown
Andreas Johnsson - Par Lindholm - Kasperi Kapanen

Defense

Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey
Travis Dermott - Martin Marincin

Goalies

Garret Sparks -> Starter
Frederik Andersen

Chicago Blackhawks

Lines via NHL dot com

Forwards

Alex DeBrincat - Jonathan Toews - Dominik Kahun
Brandon Saad - Nick Schmaltz - Patrick Kane
Chris Kunitz - Artem Anisimov - David Kampf
Marcus Kruger - Luke Johnson - Andreas Martinsen

Defense

Duncan Keith - Henri Jokiharju
Brandon Manning - Brent Seabrook
Erik Gustafsson - Jan Rutta

Goalies

Cam Ward
Anton Forsberg

Oh, hey! Cam Ward is starting! This might actually be a fun night!

I didn’t realize how far the Hawks’ forward depth had fallen in the past few years. Chris Kunitz was barely a fourth-liner on the Tampa Bay Lightning last year, and he’s a regular on the third line with Anisimov. Dominik Kahun sounds like if a hockey blogger and a racecar driver had a baby and he’s on the first line.

On defense, losing Niklas Hjalmarsson, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Jordan Oesterle over the past two years due to cap troubles has really weakened the core. Is Duncan Keith still able to play 30 minutes a night? Who knows!

We’ll update you at game time with the lines in warmup, but stay right here for the game chat tonight.

Game Coverage