The Toronto Maple Leafs had a tough test earlier in the week. Back to back games against the two teams they’re battling for the division with and came out with three of four points, and showed they weren’t backing down from scoring goals against anyone.
The Dallas Stars are fighting for their playoff lives as the season winds down. The 2020 Stanley Cup runners-up are hanging on to the final Western Conference playoff spot by a thread, with just one point between them and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Auston Matthews tied the record for most goals in a season by a Maple Leaf against the Tampa Bay Lightning but wasn’t able to score against the Panthers, despite notching three assists. Will he do the deed tonight against the Stars, or wait to do it at home against the Montréal Canadiens?
Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars
8:30PM Toronto Time
Bally Sports Southwest, Sportsnet Ontario
Other guys: Defending Big D
Them
The Dallas Stars aren’t the team that went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. They aren’t a team most people even think about anymore. They exist, and have struggled last season and this, and aren’t sure if they should rebuild or not, since they have Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin signed forever.
As I mentioned above, they’re barely hanging on to the right to be demolished by the Colorado Avalanche in round one. I’m sorry Star fans, but I hope you don’t make that lead over Vegas bigger tonight.
Lines (?)
Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Joe Pavelski
Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Marian Studenic
Joel Kiviranta - Vladislav Namestnikov - Alexander Radulov
Michael Raffl - Radek Faksa - Luke Glendening
Ryan Suter - Miro Heiskanen
Joel Hanley - John Klingberg
Thomas Harley - Jani Hakanpaa
Scott Wedgewood
Jake Oettinger
Injuries: Anton Khudobin, Braden Holtby, Esa Lindell, Jacob Peterson, Denis Gruianov
No former Leafs, thank goodness.
US!
The Maple Leafs are awesome, remember? They love scoring goals and blowing leads, but man are they ever a fun team to watch. If you go up big boys, don’t take your foot off the gas. Don’t take anyone’s nonsense, and chase the goalie again.
Lines
Michael Bunting - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
Ilya Mikheyev - John Tavares - Alexander Kerfoot
William Nylander - David Kämpf - Pierre Engvall
Nick Abruzzese - Colin Blackwell - Wayne Simmonds
Morgan Rielly - Ilya Lyubushkin
Jake Muzzin - TJ Brodie
Mark Giordano - Justin Holl
Jack Campbell
Erik Källgren
Injuries: Rasmus Sandin, Ondřej Kaše, Petr Mrázek
Former Stars: Jack Campbell - get a shutout buddy!
Here is a table I like to make that probably doesn’t mean much about todays specific game.
Preview Stats
| Toronto | Team | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| 3-3 | Series | 3-3 |
| 23GF - 21GA - +2 | Goal Differential | 21GF - 23GA - -2 |
| 16% - 11th | Power Play | 22.6% - 7th |
| 77.4% - 10th | Penalty Kill | 84% - 6th |
| Auston Matthews - 4 | Most Goals | Colton, Palat - 3 |
| Mitch Marner - 5 | Most Assists | Nikita Kucherov - 6 |
| Auston Matthews - 8 | Most Points | Nikita Kucherov - 8 |
| Ilya Lyubushkin - 18 | Most PM | Jan Rutta - 17 |
| TJ Brodie - 22:44 | TOI Leader | Victor Hedman - 25:45 |
| Jack Campbell - .893sv% | Starting Goalie | Andrei Vasilevskiy - .885sv% |
The game is 8:30 on Sportsnet Ontario!
Set the record Auston!
Go Leafs Go!
