Toronto Maple Leafs at Chicago Blackhawks
Watch on: Sportsnet, TVA Sports, NHL Network, NBC Sports Chicago, NHL.tv

Opponent’s site: Second City Hockey

Alright folks, it’s game two of a back to back. We need to prepare ourselves for this fact. Don’t get your expectations high, remind yourselves that Michael Hutchinson is going to be in net, and...oh yeah, Mitch Marner is off having MRI’s done on his ankle.

It’s a recipe for success if I’ve ever heard one.

So last night, the Leafs lost in a shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers, which, I mean, it’s just a shootout right? It’s not that bad.

Recap: Maple Leafs lose shootout to Flyers 3-2

It’s a small world, so last night the Blackhawks also lost to a shootout to a Pennsylvania based team - the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Blackhawks lose to Penguins 3-2 in shootout

So, in back to backs the Leafs are 0-3-1, and the Blackhawks are 2-0. Some very small samples there, but if you want some comfort from that both teams had to fly to Chicago last night, so we’re on some pretty even footing when it comes to this back to back.

Maple Leafs Lines

Andreas Johnsson - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Trevor Moore - John Tavares - Kasperi Kapanen
Ilya Mikheyev - Alex Kerfoot - Jason Spezza
Dmytro Timashov - Nick Shore - Frederik Gauthier

Morgan Rielly - Cody Ceci
Jake Muzzin - Tyson Barrie
Travis Dermott - Justin Holl

Michael Hutchinson
Frederik Andersen

With the Leafs on a back to back we may not know the actual lines until pre-game. Without Marner in the line up, Moore and Kapanen lining up beside Tavares is the best bet.

Chicago Blackhawks Lines

Alex Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Brandon Saad
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Kirby Dach
Drake Caggiula — Ryan Carpenter — Andrew Shaw

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Slater Koekkoek

Corey Crawford
Robin Lehner

Our friends over at Second City Hockey have the Leafs with a stroke of luck and facing Corey Crawford in net. Now, I crowed about the Leafs facing Jonathan Quick earlier this week, and well, that almost backfired on me.

There are no former Leafs in the Blackhawks line up, so no surprise hat tricks coming up.

I think with both teams being equal in terms of getting to tonight’s game, it should be the best game two we’ve seen all season.

Game Coverage