LGD: Can Matthews avoid an offer sheet?
The Leafs get going in just a couple of hours.
A few things to know!
- Auston’s homecoming. Auston scored last time he played at this arena, way back in December of 2017.
- Arizona sits fifth in the Pacific Division, which isn’t great, but they are ahead of the team who has Connor McDavid, which is cool.
- Arizona is 28th in the league in goals for.
- Arizona has scored more than four goals in a game this season just eight times this year. If the Leafs can score four, they should pick up at least one point. Then again, hockey is dumb and unpredictable, so maybe not.
- Arizona has lost six of its last nine games. Nice
The Leafs
Lines and ratings via DailyFaceoff.com
LW | C | RW | Forwards |
---|---|---|---|
ZACH HYMAN Rating: 73.8#52 LW | JOHN TAVARES Rating: 83.0#9 C | MITCH MARNER Rating: 78.2#16 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 78.32#15 FL1 |
PATRICK MARLEAU Rating: 72.9#72 LW | AUSTON MATTHEWS Rating: 83.8#6 C | KASPERI KAPANEN Rating: 74.5#45 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.08#4 FL2 |
CONNOR BROWN Rating: 70.8#95 LW | NAZEM KADRI Rating: 78.3#34 C | WILLIAM NYLANDER Rating: 76.2#27 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 75.12#1 FL3 |
PAR LINDHOLM Rating: 70.8#112 LW | FREDERIK GAUTHIER Rating: 70.2#162 C | TYLER ENNIS Rating: 72.4#71 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.13#17 FL4 |
The lines seemed to work last game, but it seems like only a matter of time before we see William Nylander with Auston Matthews again.
Then again, we’re just big dumb idiots who blog online so maybe not at all.
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
---|---|---|
MORGAN RIELLY Rating: 79.6#6 LD | RON HAINSEY Rating: 73.0#47 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 76.28#13 DL1 |
JAKE MUZZIN Rating: 76.9#13 LD | NIKITA ZAITSEV Rating: 71.6#74 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 74.22#12 DL2 |
JAKE GARDINER Rating: 76.7#14 LD | TRAVIS DERMOTT Rating: 74.7#33 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 75.69#1 DL3 |
Well, that’s a great third pairing!
The Yotes
LW | C | RW | Forwards |
---|---|---|---|
RICHARD PANIK Rating: 74.2#42 LW | DEREK STEPAN Rating: 74.2#66 C | VINNIE HINOSTROZA Rating: 73.2#58 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.83#31 FL1 |
ALEX GALCHENYUK Rating: 74.2#64 LW | NICK COUSINS Rating: 73.0#85 C | CLAYTON KELLER Rating: 73.9#50 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 73.69#22 FL2 |
CHRISTIAN FISCHER Rating: 72.5#80 LW | JORDAN WEAL Rating: 70.4#160 C | CONOR GARLAND Rating: 74.2#49 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.38#15 FL3 |
LAWSON CROUSE Rating: 69.8#126 LW | BRAD RICHARDSON Rating: 70.9#146 C | JOSH ARCHIBALD Rating: 70.2#106 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.30#24 FL4 |
Richard Panik was cast off by a bad Leafs’ team and now he’s on Arizona’s top line. We don’t really have any other observations, but Conor Garland is about 5 foot 3 so that’s pretty fun.
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
---|---|---|
OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON Rating: 76.4#18 LD | NIKLAS HJALMARSSON Rating: 72.1#61 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 74.24#20 DL1 |
ALEX GOLIGOSKI Rating: 74.2#36 LD | JAKOB CHYCHRUN Rating: 73.6#44 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.90#13 DL2 |
KEVIN CONNAUTON Rating: 71.2#91 LD | JORDAN OESTERLE Rating: 73.3#44 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.23#14 DL3 |
Good defence! We think. Average defence? Say, wasn’t OEL for Matthews supposed to be the league’s biggest blockbuster about seventeen times?
Starting goalies
Andersen for Toronto and it’s looking like Kuemper for Arizona. We know enough about Fred, but Kuemper sports a line of 13-14-5 W-L , 2.77 GAA , 0.911 SV% to go along with 1 SO this year.
Puck drop at 7 on CBC. Would you have it any other way?
Recent articles from Adam Laskaris