Toronto Maple Leafs Resume Games Still Without Matthews
The Toronto Maple Leafs will resume playing hockey games after an interminable break that saw them play just once in the last eleven days.
In that game, you may recall, the Toronto Maple Leafs went down to the Boston Bruins, despite playing a damn good game, and deserving a better result.
If it’s results they are looking for, tonight is a good game to get them.
They will visit Columbus and play the NHL’s worst team.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Columbus Blue Jackets
The Leafs should be taking on their biggest rival tonight. If the marketing departments of these two teams knew what they were doing, they would take the botanical aspect of these two team’s nicknames and have a field day.
As one of the only bee-themed teams, the Blue Jackets could go after the pollen of one of the only plant-themed teams.
Unfortunately, the Blue Jackets in question refer not to bees, but to the army. And besides, I am reasonably sure that the Blue Jacket is a wasp and does little to no pollenating, and even if it did, I don’t think Leaves or, for the grammatically challenged, Leafs, have much, if any pollen, anyways.
The NHL ratings are down, I’m just trying to help.
But as to the actual game, regular readers of this column will know I hate doing game previews.
The Leafs are in second. Tampa lost to some bad teams this week. The Blue Jackets hope to get Connor Bedard, but we all hope he goes to Montreal.
That’s right, I said it. I want the Leafs and Habs to have an actual rivalry. I predict that if you could ask him and get him to tell the truth, that Connor Bedard wants to go to Columbus the least out of all teams.
But look at the bottom of those standings: Arizona, Chicago, Anaheim, Columbus….not a desirable team in the bunch.
But move up a bit and you’ve got Montreal, Vancouver and St. Louis, so maybe he gets lucky.
Back to the game.
It’s Ilya Samsonov in net and Auston Matthews out of the lineup.
That means the Leafs second line is the very uninspiring and completely devoid of imagination combo of Jarnkrok, Kerfoot and Nylander.
Next. Trade Rumour. dark
I would personally slide Bunting off the top line and make sure there are two stars per line, but even if Keefe isn’t into that, he should still try something like Engvall-Holmberg-Nylander which is way more fun.