His competition is only getting stronger as the preseason progresses, with tonights lineup in Anaheim set to feature NHL regulars such as Troy Terry, Adam Henrique and Ryan Strome. 14 days ago. Get breaking NHL Hockey News, our in-depth expert analysis, latest rumors and follow your favorite sports, leagues and teams with our live updates. Their release has promoted a spate of suggestions that they should be picked up by the team. In the game last night, the Maple Leafs lost to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime by a score of 4-3. Simmonds will replace Nicolas Aube-Kubel, while Clifford will take the lineup spot of Pierre Engvall as the Leafs begin a five-game trip. Kallgren is going to get back in there, but certainly Samsonov is going to get the heavier workload. The Toronto Maple Leafs begin the 2022-23 season tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens with championship aspirations but a long track record of falling short. The Montreal Canadiens will be dressing four rookie defensemen, starting first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, while also giving the captaincy to 23-year-old Nick Suzuki. Auston Matthews briefly stole the spotlight from Aaron Judge when he threw the first ceremonial pitch ahead of Tuesday's matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and visiting New York Yankees. In that Leafs/Arizona game, its Kllgren vs. Vejmelka and I like the over. He didnt necessarily look bad, but its not the type of performance he needs to jump into that top-six. I also said that if they arent going to use him in the NHL, they would be better off trading him, which I think still holds true. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Dallas got back even at 7:21 on a power play when Seguin fired from in close after Kerfoot went to the box for delay of game. Nylanders effort tonight closed out a preseason in which he looked like the Leafs best player rather consistently. As of right now, the answer is no. Our NHL prospect rankings with a focus on fantasy potential. He covers the Toronto Maple Leafs, World Juniors, and the NHL Entry Draft, and is also part of the Sticks in the 6ix Podcast, presented by THW. With around seven minutes left in the middle frame, the second line got the Leafs going again after a rough 10 or so minutes with a momentum-changing shift that included a double-post from Tavares. They didnt spend much time in the offensive zone, but they defended the critical ice well as a five-man unit and made the simple, safe plays at the blue lines. If you wonder why he doesnt use his real name, its because his son whos also Jim Parsons wrote for The Hockey Writers first and asked Jim Sr. to use another name so readers wouldnt confuse their work. Hockey's greatest rivalry will open another chapter tonight when Toronto visits Montreal. PointsBet has it at 7 here on the main board, but actually Im going to take it at over 6.5 and take a bit of a worse payout at -120. October Detroit gave Toronto three power play opportunities in the third period and the Maple Leafs converted on all of them a dazzling display from a man advantage that slumped down the stretch last season.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'mapleleafshotstove_com-box-4','ezslot_9',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mapleleafshotstove_com-box-4-0'); First, it was Morgan Rielly to Mitch Marner, who teed up Auston Matthews for a missile goal. We encountered an issue signing you up. We saw Rielly step up in the same way last season when Nikita Zadorov caught Ondrej Kase in a similar spot on the ice in Calgary. Avs 1st Round Draft Picks 2014-18: Where Are They Now? Already, Matthews has drawn six penalties at five-on-five. 14 days ago. As I said, Robertsons defensive game still needs some work, and unlike somebody like Steeves or Malgin, it would be a waste to use him with defensive-minded players in the bottom six. Although I dont doubt theyd bring value, I dont think the team should change its course right now or use them to dump higher contracts (and the players tied to them). This could be the best spot all season for the Leafs' shot markets. The fourth line generated a couple of solid offensive-zone shifts in the game, and it was Simmonds between-the-legs pass that led to David Kampfs second of the season that stood up as the game-winner. The Leafs averaging 5.66 goals per game but the Yotes are all the way up at 8.2 goals per game. The Over is 22-4-2 in the Maple Leafs last 28 road games. As for Muzzin, he left the game in the first after being clipped in the face, but he returned for the second period. I think this is a season for the team to use the players it has. Generate the optimal lineup on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. By Zach Dooley . On the ensuring abbreviated power play, Auston Matthews fumbled the puck but managed to corral it and fire a pass into William Nylander in the low slot, where Nylander slipped a nice pass over to John Tavares. Lets take a look at some player props for tonights action. The puck movement on the power play was phenomenal, moving from Mitch Marnerand William Nylander down low to Morgan Rielly andAuston Matthews up high with purpose. Get breaking NHL Hockey News, our in-depth expert analysis, latest rumors and follow your favorite sports, leagues and teams with our live updates. I have no doubt that both Milano and Eakin would bring value to a team and I have not a thing against either of them as players. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. This was managements last look at Malgin before decision time, and he gave them something to think long and hard about. Microsoft is quietly building a mobile Xbox store that will rely on Activision and King games. Big exhale, Leafs Nation. Both guys bring us lots of energy, both on the bench and on the ice, and coming into this trip, we could use that. I also liked Keefes decision to reward the second lines consistent efforts so far this season by starting them for the beginning of periods on the road.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'mapleleafshotstove_com-banner-1','ezslot_15',127,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mapleleafshotstove_com-banner-1-0'); 4. 8. We feel we could use a little bit of a boost and some energy, a little more veteran presence., Said Matthews: As a team, I dont think weve quite played as well as we would like to. Thats one reason I like Nylander so much. I agree with Andrews assessment. Its a jam-packed 12 game slate in the NHL on this Thursday evening. Even head coach Martin St. Louis will be in his first full season behind the bench. Its a tight game. Share this article in your social network It was his only point of the night, but I felt it was another solid showing from the Swiss winger on a line with Nylander during a make-it-or-break-it preseason for him. A number of readers simply disagreed with my take that Nylander is rising to the occasion. Michael Bunting-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner, Nick Robertson-John Tavares-William Nylander, Zach Aston-Reese-Alex Kerfoot-Calle Jarnkrok, Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Mason Appleton, Cole Perfetti-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Blake Wheeler, Sam Gagner-David Gustafsson-Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. WINNIPEG Auston Matthews is fully on board. Expect to see Erik Kallgren sometime in the next week, most likely next weekend when the Leafs play back-to-back in Los Angeles and Anaheim. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Too many jobs, not enough workers; read our investigation here. Its a tight game. Keep tabs on injured players so you know who to stash or drop. Theyll face a Toronto team that still has its core together headlined by the leading goalscorer of last season Auston Matthews. The over/under on Leaf points this season according to BetOnline.ag is 107.5, the Wings 84.5, which is about 10 more projected than last season. The Maple Leafs are back in action tonight to face the Canadiens, and while the lineups havent been released yet, its possible fans will get their first look at Matt Murray in between the pipes. 2021-22s fourth line was a frustrating mish-mash of veterans on their last legs that did not constitute a threat to the opposition on offense or defense. But this defence, while it will be fascinating to track, is going to have a really tough time against the Atlantic Divisions offences. Its been a frustrating start for Matthews in terms of finding clean looks on the power play, so it was good to see him simply fire one at the net into a good spot. Matthews said after Toronto's practice earlier in the day that his goal would be not to "embarrass" himself. I actually think the Habs forward group is better than it gets credit for. He played 17:31 in total and led the Leafs with three blocked shots a decent performance in his first game back but also not one that flashed true NHL-level speed from the opposition. Tavares is one of those players I believe is under-appreciated by Maple Leafs fans. "I should be able to get it there. Fiala Kopitar Kempe Moore Danault Kaliyev Simmonds will replace Nicolas Aube-Kubel, while Clifford will take the lineup spot of Pierre Engvall as the Leafs begin a five-game trip. Theyre always going to have your back out there and bring a lot of energy and intensity to our team. David Savard, Montreal Canadiens (4.8%): The Canadiens defender blocked nine shots in Wednesday's surprising 4-3 victory over the Maple Leafs. Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality. Top 100 Prospects. The talk of Nylander playing center brings up an old argument that John Tavares should be moved to the wing as he ages. The Toronto Maple Leafs begin the 2022-23 season tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens with championship aspirations but a long track record of falling short. I played one year of travel baseball, but I didn't play much because hockey got in the way. This morning, the Maple Leafs released the roster for tonights preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings. File another one under, every goal Kampf scores seems to be important.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'mapleleafshotstove_com-box-4','ezslot_9',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-mapleleafshotstove_com-box-4-0'); Favourite Kampsite: Back of the net pic.twitter.com/bELpCdnJLw, Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 23, 2022. It feels fine now.. Microsofts Activision Blizzard deal is key to the companys mobile gaming efforts. He's published five magazines on the team entitled "The Maple Leafs Annual" with distribution in Chapters and newsstands across the country. Sep 27, 2022 Toronto will also have its captain and second-line center, John Tavares, likely back in the lineup as he was questionable earlier in the week. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Your game in 10: 1. Engvall did not show up on the score sheet, but he registered three shots on goal, one of which was a shorthanded breakaway chance set up by an Aston-Reese pass. My best bets:William Nylander Over 2.5 shots (-138 at Fanduel) Mitch Marner Over 2.5 shots (-140 at bet365). First, let me report the score. In fact, as a former K-12 teacher for a few years before I became a university professor, I know a lot of young people who for some reason responded like Nylander seems to.