The Toronto Maple Leafs are fresh off an exciting victory against Tampa Bay on the weekend.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies back in the lineup on Saturday and they crushed the Lightning 4-0 over the first two periods before taking a nice siesta in the third and holding on for dead life towards the end of the night.
Still, it was a victory and it was against a divisional rival. The Leafs lead the Atlantic *by points percentage at least* and will look to take the lead for real tonight.
The Leafs will host the Blackhawks at the ACC at 7PM.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Chicago Blackhawks
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won five of their last six games. They are second in the Atlantic and 10th in the NHL overall. They are a good team, but one whose problems have been hidden by excellent goaltending so far this year.
The Blackhawks, on the other hand, are not a good team. They are terrible. They are not only in last place, but Connor Bedard isn't having the season everyone assumed he would have, and likely won't even be named to the Team Canada roster later this week.
That is a big mistake, and it's ridiculous to leave such a player off the roster regardless of what's happening in the present. Bedard plays on a bad team, but there aren't 12 players alive better than he is, let alone just Canadians.
I digress, however. Tonight's game should be a cake-walk for the Leafs, and as a wanna be contender, they have to excuses but to crush the Blackhawks, who have only won eight games so far this season.
The Leafs are going to start Anthony Stolarz tonight, while the Blackhawks are expected to go with Arvid Soderblom.
After being hit in the neck with a shot the other night against Tampa, Jake McCabe is going to sit out this game, but the coach, according to David Alter, said that it was precautionary. McCabe is not expected to be out long.
The Leafs are going to dress Philippe Myers in place of McCabe, and this really shows how thin the Leafs blue-line is. Myers has no business skating on a top team, let alone in the top four. The Leafs have OEL in the top four already, and desperately need to upgrade on that.
The problem they face, however, is that Benoit and Timmins just aren't that good, which means that at least three of their defenseman are replacement level. It's worked out OK so far, but the incredible goaltending is hiding basically every problem this team has. It will be interesting to see what the blue-line looks like when the playoffs role around.