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Toronto Maple Leafs Welcome Back Morgan Rielly to Face Coyotes

By James Tanner

ELMONT, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 21: Cal Clutterbuck #15 of the New York Islanders checks Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the UBS Arena on November 21, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 21: Cal Clutterbuck #15 of the New York Islanders checks Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at the UBS Arena on November 21, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be back in action tonight when they visit the Arizona Coyotes and their comically amateur arena.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off another decisive victory, this time against the St. Louis Blues.

It was the third win in a row for the Leafs who have only lost three times in regulation since October 30th.

It was their eighth game in a row with an Expected Goals rating over 57%.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Arizona Coyotes

Back in October, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-2 to the Arizona Coyotes, in Toronto.

The Leafs actually dominated the game, but sometimes that’s just the way she goes.

Tonight it will most likely be different, as the Leafs should absolutely demolish the Coyotes, but will now have the added motivation of revenge, having already lost to them earlier.

Arizona is a pretty bad team, currently in 27th place overall, while the Leafs are 3rd, despite being nine points behind league leading Boston.

The big news is that Morgan Rielly will be back tonight.  Or, that is, he is expected to be.

Rielly has been out since November 21st when he injured his knee.  Rielly ended up missing 15 games, and the Leafs went 12-2-1 while he was out.  Rielly is expected to be paired with Timothy Liljegren tonight, and I couldn’t be happier about the pairing.

Liljegren is probably now the Leafs best overall defender, and together with Rielly they should form one of the NHL’s very best pairings.

Dryden Hunt will be making his Leafs debut, subbing in for Joey “I’m Not Angry Anymore” Anderson, who has been playing well in my opinion.

Hunt will join a line with Pontus Holmberg and Zach Aston-Reese, which seems like  a very impressive fourth line.  Holmberg and A-Reese are about as good as you can find on a fourth line anywhere, and whoever they settle on to go with them is going to benefit.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will go with Matt Murray in net, and hopefully they will get a better performance than they got from Samsonov against the Blues.  Though it’s not really fair to knock either of these guys if they have a bad game or two, since they’ve been pretty impressive so far.

Next. Expect a Trade for a Star Forward Because Blue-Line Is Set. dark

The Coyotes will counter with Karel Vejmalka, who you have never heard of, but who will, no doubt, put up a sixty-save performance later tonight.  Just kidding, the Leafs should score about a dozen goals tonight, and I very much expect an Auston Matthews hattrick.

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