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Toronto Maple Leafs Probably Won’t Play Next Week Either

By James Tanner

CALGARY, AB - APRIL 4: (L-R) Mitch Marner #16, Auston Matthews #34 and T.J. Brodie #78 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate after Matthews scored a goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 4, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - APRIL 4: (L-R) Mitch Marner #16, Auston Matthews #34 and T.J. Brodie #78 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate after Matthews scored a goal against the Calgary Flames during the third period of an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 4, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs second in the Atlantic Division and second in Covid.

With Morgan Rielly being added to the Toronto Maple Leafs Covid list on today, the Leafs are now tied with Detroit for second most Covid cases in the NHL, according to the Sun. 

Roughly 15% of the NHL is currently in the league’s protocol for Covid and while games are canceled until after Christmas, it doesn’t look like the Leafs will be able to play until after New Years.

Now I’ve been wrong before, and hopefully I am on this too, but it’s not looking good for Monday’s game against Columbus.

Toronto Maple Leafs Post-Christmas Games

In addition to the Leafs regular roster being ravaged, the Marlies are pretty much going through the same thing, making it close to impossible for the team to ice a complete roster.

Another factor is that both post Christmas games involve an American team, so even if the Leafs had a healthy enough roster, they might not be allowed to travel to Columbus, and Pittsburgh might not be able to come here.

The Leafs  have three out of their first four games of the New Year against Canadian teams, so hopefully we can at least see those games.

Either way, I’m sure the NHL will be back to normal fairly soon, and I am confident the league will get in most, if not all, of its’ 82 games schedule. The current variant just seems too infectious to constantly pause everything, so we’re probably just going to have to get boostered then move on with life.

I mean, I hope so, but who knows at this point? The good thing is that whenever hockey does resume, the Leafs will gunning for their first President’s Trophy in franchise history, as well as their second straight division title and first Stanley Cup since…..the year escapes me!

The Leafs have picked up eight points out of every ten available since October 27th, and they haven’t missed a step even with Mitch Marner out of the lineup and not producing like he normally does when he was in the lineup.

Marner – who’s advanced stats say he’s just getting unlucky – has 21 points in 24 games, which is a far cry from the (more or less)100 point pace he’s been on for the last two seasons prior to this one.

Leafs Putting Up Crazy Numbers. dark. Next

Marner isn’t even having a bad season – he’s just getting unlucky.  When he starts producing, look out!  And hey, if there’s one thing that’s good about the postponed games, it’s that Marner will miss less games.

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