Leafs Lines

LW	C	RW
ZACH HYMAN	AUSTON MATTHEWS	WILLIAM NYLANDER
PATRICK MARLEAU	NAZEM KADRI	MITCH MARNER
JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK	TYLER BOZAK	CONNOR BROWN
LEO KOMAROV	DOMINIC MOORE	KASPERI KAPANEN

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
JAKE GARDINER	NIKITA ZAITSEV
ANDREAS BORGMAN	CONNOR CARRICK
TRAVIS DERMOTT	JUSTIN HOLL

• The most balanced the Leafs lines have looked all year?
• Roman Polak and Ron Hainsey remain out with illness, and did not travel on the trip
• Do you miss Morgan Rielly? I miss Morgan Rielly.
• Matt Martin remains scratched, which is probably for the best.

Rangers Lines

LW	C	RW
RICK NASH	MIKA ZIBANEJAD	PAVEL BUCHNEVICH
J.T. MILLER	KEVIN HAYES	MATS ZUCCARELLO
MICHAEL GRABNER	PETER HOLLAND	JESPER FAST
CODY MCLEOD	DAVID DESHARNAIS	JIMMY VESEY

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
RYAN MCDONAGH	NICK HOLDEN
BRADY SKJEI	MARC STAAL
BRENDAN SMITH	ANTHONY DEANGELO

• A pair of former Leafs populate the Rangers third line, so that’s notable.
• It’s the first Rangers game since January 25, so let’s make up a narrative about how they’re either well-rested or rusty.
• The Rangers are in a BATTLE right now for the final wild card spot. They’re one point behind Philadelphia with the same amount of games played.

Starting goalies

• Curtis McElhinney slots in tonight as per usual for the second half of a back-to-back. He’s put up a .925 save percentage in eight appearances this year, which is about all you can ask for from a backup goaltender.
• Henrik Lundqvist likely populates the NYR net tonight. Lundqvist, widely considered the best goaltender of all time to never win the Big Cup (is that what it’s called?) has a .922 save percentage this season, but was pulled in his first matchup against the Leafs this year (that 8-5 win on the opening Saturday of the season) and fell 3-2 to the Leafs in their last game before the Christmas break.

LGD BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PINT