Toronto Maple Leafs Get Their Fifth Best Forward Back
The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again play the Calgary Flames tonight at the Air Canada Centre.
The 14-4-2 Toronto Maple Leafs will look to get back in the win column after getting shut-out in improbable fashion on Monday.
The Leafs had seven power-plays and absolutely dominated two of the three periods, but ran into a hot goalie and three, maybe even four, goal posts. Ironic that they should get shutout in one of the only games this year where they were far and away the better team.
The Leafs record in one-goal games is so good that some kind of correction to the norm is almost mandatory, so you can’t get too upset about a loss, especially one you didn’t come close to deserving.
Toronto Maple Leafs Lineup Changes
The Leafs will get Zach Hyman back tonight, and he’ll slot in on the top line, while one assumes the red-hot Alex Kerfoot will ride shotgun with Tavares and Nylander, both playing excellently, and both getting radically unlucky in the goals actually going into the net department.
If the Leafs do choose to put Kerfoot back to the third line, I hope Alex Barabanov gets a shot with Willie and JT because he was dynamic on Monday and he deserves a run of games with a bunch of minutes and good linemates. I like what I’ve seen in limited action from the tenacious and talented Russian.
Keefe said Hyman will play with Matthews and Marner
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) February 24, 2021
According to Shilton, Petan will be coming out of the linup in favor of Hyman, and the Freddie Andersen injury is not serious. But it’s serious enough that we will once again see Michael Hutchinson in net tonight.
He was solid on Monday, allowing only a single goal 5v5. He had a bad season last year, but he’s a decent enough backup, so don’t sweat it.
The Leafs will still be without Jake Muzzin, Joe Thornton, and Wayne Simmonds. They’re so deep that those guys are out, and they still aren’t using Nick Robertson or Alex Galchenyuk. They have the NHL’s best team, best roster, best coach, best GM and best player.
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What else do you want? The Toronto Maple Leafs should be the current favorite to win the Stanley Cup and they should have no problem crushing the Calgary Flames tonight. My prediction is 8-0 with a Hutchinson shutout and five points, including hattie, from Big Willie Style. John Tavares will score twice.
Wooo.