logo
The LeafsNation has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Leafs Practice Notes: Matthews ruled out, Knies wearing regular jersey, Stolarz projected to start
alt
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Michael Mazzei
Nov 27, 2024, 12:40 ESTUpdated: Nov 27, 2024, 13:45 EST
Comments
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews joined the team for a full practice session on Wednesday morning for the second consecutive day, prior to Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers. Matthews is ruled out for the ninth consecutive game, but it appears that he’ll likely make his return Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Matthews did not take any reps with a line, as he did during Tuesday’s practice when he was skating between William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg. Nylander and Holmberg skated alongside Nick Robertson during Wednesday’s practice.
The 27-year-old admitted after Tuesday’s practice in Toronto that he felt he needed some more skates in before feeling comfortable enough to play again. This makes sense given the fact that he only resumed skating over the weekend after being away from the rink for a little over three weeks, which included a trip to Germany to receive treatment.
“I think the individual skates were much different than a team practice, so this being kind of like the first actual team practice I’ve skated in, I’ve felt really good but I might need maybe one or two to really get my legs and lungs back under me,” Matthews said Tuesday via Nick Barden of The Hockey News.
Matthew Knies took a major step in his recovery by participating in practice today in a regular practice sweater. Given the fact he was wearing a non-contact jersey less than 24 hours ago, it appears likely he will be cleared to return on Saturday.
Knies was injured during a November 20 game due to a hit from Zach Whitecloud of the Vegas Golden Knights that took him out of the game early in the second period. He was able to leave the ice and head to the locker room on his own power but the team opted to hold Knies out of the lineup for the rest of the night.
Knies was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 20 on November 22, and he was eligible to return for Wednesday’s game.
Knies’ absence has opened the door for Fraser Minten and Alex Nylander to get an opportunity in the NHL. One notable change head coach Craig Berube has made is to the power play, where both players were swapped between the first and second units.
Minten and Alex Nylander received some quality scoring chances during Sunday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club, but the reason for this swap is to take advantage of the strong chemistry Alex has with his older brother William. The Nylander brothers received plenty of looks together throughout the contest and it was evident how well they fed off each other in the offensive zone.
Along with Minten, the second unit will also consist of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Timmins, Nick Robertson, and Bobby McMann. While it is unclear how much longer both Minten and Nylander will be on the main roster, the fact both are getting looks on the power play shows the coaching staff is gaining a lot of confidence in them.
Here are the projected lines for tonight’s game via TSN’s Mark Masters:
Forwards
Bobby McMann-John Tavares-Mitch Marner
Nick Robertson-Pontus Holmberg- William Nylander
Nikita Grebenkin-Fraser Minten-Alex Nylander
Alex Steeves-Connor Dewar- Steven Lorentz
Defence
Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit-Conor Timmins
Goalies
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
Jake McCabe is back in the lineup after missing practice due to what Berube described as a maintenance day. Given how well he has done alongside Chris Tanev as the Leafs’ shutdown pair, this is no doubt a welcome sight for fans to see him return to the fold. As a result, the defence pairings remain unchanged from where they were on Sunday.
Anthony Stolarz is projected to get the start against his former team, where will likely square off against his previous tandem partner in Sergei Bobrovsky. Joseph Woll was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week and this game provides Stolarz with the chance to get some reps in as both goalies are back working as part of an excellent tandem.

Sponsored by bet365

News
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News