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Joseph Woll projected starter vs. Flyers, Ryan Reaves returns to lineup
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Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Arun Srinivasan
Jan 7, 2025, 12:22 EST
Joseph Woll is projected to start for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Woll won his past four starts and has posted a 13-6-0 record with a .914 save percentage in 19 games this season.
Dennis Hildeby will serve as Woll’s backup. Hildeby made 30 stops as the Maple Leafs defeated the Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Sunday.
It appears that Ryan Reaves will be replacing Nick Robertson in the lineup, based on the practice lines posted by David Alter of The Hockey News. Reaves slotted in on the fourth line, alongside Connor Dewar and David Kampf during line rushes, Alter reports. Robertson and Pontus Holmberg were among the extra forwards at practice. Berube confirmed Reaves will be playing.
Robertson has been part of Toronto’s third line since December 15, playing with Bobby McMann and Max Domi as his primary linemates, and they’ve had some success beating opponents in transition, but it appears that Craig Berube is electing for a different look Tuesday. McMann was promoted to a line with John Tavares and William Nylander, while Max Pacioretty was placed with Domi and Steven Lorentz.
Toronto’s top line of Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner remains intact. The trio exploded for five goals and 13 points cumulatively in a 6-4 win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, where Knies played the best game of his young career, notching his first hat-trick in a five-point effort.
Jake McCabe was placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 5, and he will be out of the lineup for the next three games, after suffering an upper-body injury Sunday. McCabe fought Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway, after Hathaway crashed into Hildeby.
McCabe hit the ice violently after the fight and was slow to get up, before skating off under his own power, and was ruled out early in the second period of the contest. Berube did not provide a further update post-game on McCabe’s status, or the specific nature of the injury. Chris Tanev will likely be paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Timmins will factor back into the lineup alongside Simon Benoit, while Morgan Rielly and Philippe Myers remain intact.

Maple Leafs’ projected lineup:

Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner
Bobby McMann-John Tavares-William Nylander
Max Pacioretty-Max Domi-Steven Lorentz
Connor Dewar-David Kampf-Ryan Reaves
Morgan Rielly-Philippe Myers
Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit-Conor Timmins
Joseph Woll (projected starter)
Dennis Hildeby

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