Toronto Maple Leafs to Host Seattle While Canada Plays for Gold

The Toronto Maple Leafs might get a lot less attention tonight than they are used to.

While the Toronto Maple Leafs will be taking on the Seattle Kraken at home in Toronto, team Canada will be taking on Czechia, the team that beat them on Boxing Day.

It does seem fitting that the only team to beat Canada should play them for the Gold, but I have a hard time believing Canada will have much trouble with them a second time.

I expect Connor Bedard and friends to deliver the Gold a few hours from now.

As to the Leafs…

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Seattle Kraken

The Leafs are either winless or undefeated on the year, depending on how you want to view the result of their only game so far in 2023 – a shootout loss to the Blues.

Ex  Leaf for a day Jared McCann has 17 goals on the year for the much improved Kraken.

For reasons most likely explained by a high shooting percentage, the Kraken are an offensive powerhouse, leading the NHL in 5v5 scoring.

They are doing OK in the standings too, 3rd in their division, 14th overall and looking like a good bet to make the playoffs.

Of course the Leafs are the NHL’s best team, a sure thing to make the playoffs and, according to moneypuck.com they also have the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup, which makes sense when you consider how well they’re doing despite all the injuries.

The Leafs will be going with the same lineup as Tuesday, meaning Benn, Simmonds and Timmins will all sit.

Muzzin, Robertson and Victor Mete remain on the IR, which suddenly doesn’t look so bad for the Leafs. Granted they could definitely use Robertson, and of course Muzzin would help too, but even he isn’t missed the much since everyone in his place has done so well.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will start Matt Murray, and the Kraken will likely go with Martin Jones, though that has not been confirmed.

I am hoping that a few hours from now the Leafs will have won their first game of 2023, but I wonder who will be watching?  As long as the Canada games is within doubt, I can’t see too many people focusing on the Leafs.

I will be using technology to tape both and watch them separately, so here is hoping that the Junior feed refrains from updating the Leafs game score.