Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings
Time: 7:30PM
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Broadcast/Streaming: TSN4, NHL Live, TSN1050
Opponent SBNation Site: Winging it in Motown
The Toronto Maple Leafs head to Detroit for game three of this road trip, because putting Detroit after the Dallas Stars makes total sense, instead of before or after Chicago or as the last stop. But sure, right in the middle, why not.
The Detroit Red Wings of the “25 year playoff streak” are dead. We’re back to the 1980’s Dead Things era. The team is winless so far into this season, their highest cap hit is Dylan Larkin who’s pretty good, and their second highest cap is Henrik Zetterberg (until he’s traded to the Coyotes as cap filler). Overall the Red Wings are paying $24,000,000 in IR money. It’s not relevant to tonight’s game, but I thought I should add it.
The Red Wings are bad, and seem to be going the Oilers route of middling around and not fully committing to a rebuild. Perhaps they’re hoping to hit the jackpot on a 7th round pick again so we can once again be amazed at what great drafters they are for decades afterwards.
Now, the Maple Leafs aren’t such hot stuff either. After needing overtime against Montreal, and losing to the Senators the Leafs needed to score 13 goals in two games to beat the Blackhawks and Stars.
Which team will turn up tonight? The one that scores seven goals or the one who scores two and loses what should be an easy win?
Toronto Maple Leafs
From yesterday’s practice in Dallas
Forward Lines
Patrick Marleau - Auston Matthews - Kasperi Kapanen
Zach Hyman - John Tavares - Mitchell Marner
Par Lindholm - Nazem Kadri - Connor Brown
Josh Leivo - Frederik Gauthier - Tyler Ennis
The Maple Leafs forwards seem to have found their scoring touch, and the pairing of Matthews and Kapanen should give us something fun to watch while we also keep noticing that William Nylander isn’t there.
Defence Pairings
Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott - Igor Ozhiganov
DO BETTER, DEFENCE!
Martin Marincin is set to rejoin the #leafs lineup tonight in Detroit in place of Igor Ozhiganov.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 11, 2018
Marincin left side, and Dermott plays right.#tmltalk
— Paul Hendrick (@HennyTweets) October 11, 2018
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
Just keep out more goals than the other goalie is all we ask.
Detroit Red Wings
Forward Lines
Justin Abdelkader - Dylan Larkin - Anthony Mantha
Gustav Nyquist - Andreas Athanasiou - Thomas Vanek
Tyler Bertuzzi - Frans Nielsen - Michael Rasmussen
Darren Helm - Christoffer Ehn - Luke Glendening
I’m more mad that I had to spell Anthanasiou than anything else. That’s all the feelings I have about this line up.
Defence Pairings
Danny Dekeyser - Filip Hronek
Libor Sulak - Joe Hicketts
Niklas Kronwall - Nick Jensen
I’m pretty sure half of these guys are EA Sports create a character.
Goaltenders
Jimmy Howard
Jonathan Bernier
Remember when Jimmy Howard as on his way out and Peter Mrazek was the wave of the future?
#RedWings Abdelkader not skating this morning.
— Dana Wakiji (@Dwakiji) October 11, 2018
Oh no! Not their best player. We’ll update the lines when we know them.
#RedWings Abdelkader did not skate this morning but is expected to play. Frk said he was just subbing for him during the skate.
— Dana Wakiji (@Dwakiji) October 11, 2018
I’ve more than likely jinxed the Maple Leafs tonight. I said the Leafs would defeat both Montreal and Ottawa and they barely beat Montreal, and lost to Ottawa so I hope none of you have any money on this game.
