The Leafs and Capitals face off tonight at 6:00 pm, the first game of the night with 16 games. Yes, that means every NHL team will be playing tonight. The Leafs will look to build on the momentum they gained against Tampa in the third period and overtime. The Leafs are hoping to start building a stretch of solid games here and need to start getting their defensive structure to sink in. The Leafs will start the game with the same lines we saw them end last game with, shared below.
Leafs Projected Lineup
Three Things to Look Out For
Woll
After Samsonov allowed three goals on four shots, Woll was brought into the game against Tampa and played a composed yet efficient game, stopping all 27 shots he faced. Woll looks comfortable in the net, and some even compare his demeanor to Carey Price’s. It’s Woll’s first full season with the Leafs, though, so he still has a lot to prove, and that starts with Woll winning the start tonight against the Capitals. Woll will look to continue building momentum in hopes of winning more starts, and he looks to be well on his way.
Jarnkrok
After bouncing between the second and third lines, Jarnkrok is back with Matthews and Marner. Alex Kerfoot was considered the “Swiss army knife” while he was on the Leafs, but Jarnkrok fits this definition more. While he isn’t a massive offensive producer, he fits in wherever he plays and doesn’t look out of place playing with the Leafs’ star players. Keep an eye on Jarnkrok tonight as he looks to pick up the chemistry that he’s been building with Matthews from last season.
Bertuzzi
It’s probably pretty safe to say that Bertuzzi hasn’t quite had the start with the Leafs that he’d be hoping for. He finds himself starting on the second line with Nylander and Tavares, but that might actually be a good thing for him. Nylander and Tavares have recorded a point every game so far, so having two red-hot players playing with Bertuzzi might help boost Bertuzzi’s numbers and, in turn, his confidence. Bertuzzi is a skilled playmaker and will look to make things happen and build some chemistry on the Leafs’ second line.
Tonight’s game starts at 6:00 PM EST on TSN4!
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