LGD: One last push
7 years ago
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who as of last night confirmed their spot in the 2016-17 Stanley Cup playoffs, have one final game to play today in this wholly irregular season.
Here’s what has to be the best quote of the day, from Morgan Rielly:
At the unusual start time of 6 p.m. on a Sunday night, the Leafs will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in game 82 of 82. And though it won’t affect whether there will be playoff hockey in Toronto this year, it does have potentially huge implications on how far this team will be able to go this spring.
If the Leafs come out of this game with one point (or two), it’s Ottawa who they’ll play in the first round. None, and it’s Washington. While it doesn’t carry the same weight as last night’s game, those are some decent stakes if we’ve ever seen them heading into the final day. Winning tonight really could be the difference between a playoff series victory and well, a much longer road to a playoff series victory.
The Maple Leafs
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Zach Hyman |  Auston Matthews |  William Nylander |
 Leo Komarov |  Nazem Kadri |  Connor Brown |
 James van Riemsdyk |  Tyler Bozak |  Mitchell Marner |
 Matt Martin |  Brian Boyle |  Kasperi Kapanen |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Morgan Rielly |  Connor Carrick |
 Jake Gardiner |  Nikita Zaitsev |
 Matt Hunwick |  Roman Polak |
Kasperi Kapanen for Hall of Fame? Why not.
Nothing surprising in tonight’s lineup really. Here’s to Jake Gardiner’s feet being a little more lucky today.
The Blue Jackets
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Nick Foligno |  Brandon Dubinsky |  Cam Atkinson |
 Brandon Saad |  Alexander Wennberg |  Sam Gagner |
 Scott Hartnell |  Boone Jenner |  Oliver Bjorkstrand |
 Matt Calvert |  William Karlsson |  Josh Anderson |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Gabriel Carlsson |  Seth Jones |
 Jack Johnson |  David Savard |
 Kyle Quincey |  Markus Nutivaara |
Zach Werenski and Ryan Murray are the most notable injuries for the CBJ. Other than that; it’s a strong lineup that’s earned their place in the standings this season.
Between the Pipes
Rookie goalie Joonas Korpisalo faces off against former Blue Jacket Curtis McElhinney. He’s carrying a .902 save percentage this season in 13 games.
Where to watch
The game will be on Sportsnet tonight. You can breathe now, the Leafs are in the playoffs.
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