The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, defeating the NHL's last remaining undefeated team, and erasing a three-game losing streak that also saw them lose four of five.
The Toronto Maple Leafs can't seem to get any momentum going so far this year, but hopefully Monday's solid effort over Winnipeg will carry over. The Leafs traded Timothy Liljegren last night, and though that won't affect the lineup they dress, it likely does relieved some stress from the team as no one likes to see a teammate stuck on the sidelines.
The 5-4-1 Leafs will host the Seattle Kraken and their identical record tonight at the ACC.
Here's how the Leafs and Kraken match up.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Seattle Kraken Game Preview
Team Stats:
Not only do Seattle and Toronto have the same records, but both teams also sit at an identical 2-2-1 in their last five games. The Leafs have the tiebreaker, as they have 5 regulation wins compared to Seattle's 4, and 5 ROW compared to Seattle's 3.
Seattle does get the nod in terms of goal differential, sitting at a +6 goal differential compared to Leafs, who sit at an even 0.
In terms of special teams, the Kraken currently sit 14th in the NHL on the power-play, and a 15th-overall penalty kill. Compared to the Leafs, who have an abysmal 30th-overall power-play, along with a league-average 14th-overall penalty kill.
Overall, the stats show two fairly even teams, at least based on how they've played so far.
Storyline to watch:
The Leafs own an impressive 5-1 record all-time against the NHL's newest expansion team, including winning both matchups last year. The Leafs have outscored Seattle 24-16 over their six all-time matchups, with Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews leading the way with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Marner has tallied five goals with eight assists in his six career games vs Seattle, with Matthews adding six goals and five assists.
Joey Daccord will play in goal for the Kraken, while the Leafs are going to counter with Joseph Woll, who will look to play much better in his second game of the season. With two games this weekend, it looks like Woll will get to play two out of the next three. It looks like Timmins and Benoit on the Leafs third pairing, and Domi at 3C.
Nick Robertson was absent from the practice lines, but Mark Masters says he's likely to play. No word on who is coming out.