Toronto Maple Leafs December Schedule: Part One
The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin the month of December by hosting Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on December 2nd. Tyler Bertuzzi and T.J. Brodie will return to Toronto after leaving for the Blackhawks in free agency during the summer. Other familiar faces on the Blackhawks roster are Ilya Mikheyev and Nick Foligno.
On December 4th, the Nashville Predators will be in Toronto. Former fan favourite Luke Schenn will return to Toronto along with former Leafs forward Ryan O'Reilly. The Predators have been struggling this season, so the Leafs must take advantage.
Next up on the Leafs schedule is a weekend of back-to-back games. On Friday, December 6th, the Leafs will host the Washington Capitals, who will be without Alexander Ovechkin. The next night, December 7th, the Leafs will be in Pittsburgh to play Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
The Leafs will be in New Jersey to play the Devils on December 10th. It will be the Leafs first game against former head coach Sheldon Keefe. The Devils are one of the best teams in the NHL going into December, so it won't be an easy game to win.
On December 12th, the Leafs will host the Anaheim Ducks, and fans will have the pleasure of booing Radko Gudas. He has become just as hated in Toronto as Brad Marchand in recent years.
The Leafs will round out the first half of December with back-to-back games against divisional rivals. First, they will be in Detroit to play the Red Wings on December 14th, and then the Leafs will host the Buffalo Sabres on December 15th.