LGP 65: Leafs Back on Home Ice Against Oilers

Matthews skates in practice Photo: Maple Leafs Twitter

The Leafs are back at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since the trade deadline. After a moderately successful 3-2-0 road trip, the Leafs are back on home ice for the next four games. It all starts against the Oilers in Campbell’s first game back in Toronto, and although he isn’t projected to play tonight, I’m sure he will receive a warm welcome and a video tribute. The Leafs will hope to bring the fans a solid game and look to add another win to their record, unlike their poor effort against the Oilers just a few games ago.

Leafs Projected Lineup

Oilers Projected Lineup

Forwards

Kane – McDavid – Hyman

Nugent-Hopkins – Draisaitl – Yamamoto

Foegele – Bjugstad – Janmark

Shore – McLeod – Ryan

Defense

Nurse – Ceci

Ekholm – Bouchard

Kulak – Desharnais

Goalies

Skinner

Campbell

Three Things to Look Out For

Gustafsson

Gustafsson is back in the Leafs lineup after finding himself out of the lineup on Tuesday. It seems the Leafs want to see more of their defensemen than depth forwards currently, as they elected to run an 11F 7D setup tonight. The minutes on the back end will likely be divided, and although Gustafsson looks to be lining up with Rielly, I’m sure we will see him take shifts with other partners too. Keep an eye on Gustafsson tonight as he looks to limit his nerves and mistakes while starting to contribute to this Leafs team.

Murray

Murray played a solid game last Saturday and was hung out to dry by his team. He kept them in the game for the first two frames but could only do so much after multiple turnovers on the powerplay led to shorthanded goals against him. Murray may have been off for quite some time, but he didn’t show signs of it. It’s important for the team to keep both goalies in their tandem fresh but ensure they don’t spend too much time on the bench between starts. Murray will look to have another solid start tonight, and hopefully, the team will give him some support, too, so he can end up in the win column again.

Matthews

The last battle between Matthews and McDavid didn’t look like much of a battle at all, as McDavid had another impressive game, and Matthews had a relatively poor game himself. Matthews, fresh off scoring against New Jersey, will look to change the script tonight and be a factor in the Leafs offense tonight. Matthews can help on both sides of the puck, but I expect him to have a better offensive game tonight.

Tonight’s game starts at 7 PM EST on Sportsnet and CBC!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Twitter @nathan_bondy.

Challenging Coaches and Coaches' Challenges Leafs Late Night

WELCOME BACK TO LEAFS LATE NIGHT! Presented by Inside The RinkRoscoe / Suthy – Sizing Up The Enemy- Tit for Tort- Squashington- New Rules- Shohei The Golden BoyNEW MERCH IS AVAILABLE!JOIN OUR DISCORD!Remember to follow us on Twitter @LeafsLateNight & IG @LeafsLateNightCheck out Mike, Josh, and Nathan's articles on the Leafs + many more! insidetherink.comHow to support us and our sponsors:TicketmasterColumbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR
  1. Challenging Coaches and Coaches' Challenges
  2. If Refs Could Turn Back Time
  3. The Art of The Deadline
  4. The Colonization of Robidas Island
  5. The Hat Store Called, They're Runnin' Outta Hats

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Bruins Struggle to Pull Through, Losing 3-1 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | 3/27/2024

The Bruins have been struggling to stay strong and capitalize in games recently. On Tuesday, they pulled through to avoid a three-game losing streak when they defeated the Florida Panthers. It was a relieving victory for them as they moved into first on the Atlantic Division standings. Boston went on to play against the Tampa […]

Read More

Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins Recap: 03/26/2024

The Atlantic Division showdown for first place didn’t disappoint Tuesday night. Florida took on the Boston Bruins at home in what could be a preview of a Playoff Series in a month’s time. It’s no secret that there’s no love lost between these teams, especially after how the playoffs ended last season for Boston. Florida […]

Read More
Nick DeSimone defends against Auston Matthews

Devils Stay Alive with Massive Victory over Toronto Maple Leafs | 03/26/2024

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena in a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest. Jake Allen came up huge for the Devils, and their offense was opportunistic, earning an essential two points in their playoff push. With the win, the Devils improved to 36-33-4, while the Maple Leafs […]

Read More