The Leafs are in sunny Florida tonight for the first tilt of the season with the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning. It’ll be a true clash of the titans tonight, with the Leafs’ moms there to witness all the excitement.

Toronto Maple Leafs

@MapleLeafs

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Good morning, moms! Getting ready for the 2018 Mothers Trip team photo. #LeafsForever

4:39 PM · Dec 13, 2018

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Leafs Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
CONNOR BROWN Rating: 69.3#129 LW	JOHN TAVARES Rating: 81.1#14 C	MITCH MARNER Rating: 78.1#16 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 76.15#20 FL1
ANDREAS JOHNSSON Rating: 75.2#36 LW	AUSTON MATTHEWS Rating: 86.9#4 C	KASPERI KAPANEN Rating: 74.3#38 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 78.77#2 FL2
PATRICK MARLEAU Rating: 74.0#44 LW	NAZEM KADRI Rating: 76.5#39 C	WILLIAM NYLANDER Rating: 76.3#30 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 75.61#1 FL3
PAR LINDHOLM Rating: 71.4#94 LW	FREDERIK GAUTHIER Rating: 69.3#173 C	TYLER ENNIS Rating: 70.1#97 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 70.27#19 FL4

Status quo for the Leafs tonight. They’ll be rolling with the same forward group that won decisively in Carolina on Tuesday, including William Nylander on Nazem Kadri’s wing – where he looked great, for the record.

Lightning Lines

LW	C	RW	Forwards
ONDREJ PALAT Rating: 75.9#30 LW	STEVEN STAMKOS Rating: 81.6#11 C	YANNI GOURDE Rating: 76.3#24 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 77.94#15 FL1
TYLER JOHNSON Rating: 75.4#45 LW	BRAYDEN POINT Rating: 84.1#7 C	NIKITA KUCHEROV Rating: 87.1#1 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 82.17#1 FL2
ALEX KILLORN Rating: 74.4#59 LW	ANTHONY CIRELLI Rating: 74.3#60 C	J.T. MILLER Rating: 74.5#57 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 74.41#3 FL3
MATHIEU JOSEPH Rating: 74.7#38 LW	CEDRIC PAQUETTE Rating: 70.8#145 C	RYAN CALLAHAN Rating: 71.4#82 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 72.32#1 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS	Defense
VICTOR HEDMAN Rating: 80.6#3 LD	DAN GIRARDI Rating: 73.1#39 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 76.86#7 DL1
RYAN MCDONAGH Rating: 76.7#16 LD	ERIK CERNAK Rating: 72.6#44 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 74.66#11 DL2
BRAYDON COBURN Rating: 72.3#68 LD	MIKHAIL SERGACHEV Rating: 74.4#33 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 73.37#4 DL3

The Lightning look as threatening as always. They will, however, be without Leaf Legend Anton Stralman, who is injured.

Starting Goalies

Tampa Bay Lightning

@TBLightning

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"It's one of 82 but it should be a good one.” Vasilevskiy returns for a big Atlantic bout | #TORvsTBL tbl.co/burns12-13

6:34 PM · Dec 13, 2018

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Andrei Vasilevskiy returns to the lineup tonight, after being sidelined since November 10th with a broken foot.

Vasilevskiy is rocking a 9-3-1 and a .927 on the season, but it’s yet to be seen if he’ll experience any post-injury rust.

For the Leafs, it’s Frederik Andersen, of course. The Great Dane is besting Vasilevskiy ever so slightly with a .928 save percentage on the season, and a 17-8-0 record.

Notes

The Lightning are the clear Atlantic Division frontrunners right now, but the Leafs will be looking to gain some valuable ground.
Want to know how ridiculous Tampa has been? The Leafs are 2nd in the league in goal differential at +28. Tampa? First at +39(!!!). Just silly.
The Lightning are a threatening team on the possession front, where the Leafs have faltered a little thus far. That being said, the Leafs bested the Hurricanes on Tuesday night, who are first in the league in that department.

Puck Drop is at 7:30pm ET on Sportsnet Ontario.