The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a six game win streak, their longest of the season, most recently beating the Montreal Canadiens 6-0. The Arizona Coyotes are on a two game winning streak, also their longest of the season, and beat the Montreal Canadiens as well. With two similar results coming into Monday’s game it must be evenly matched teams right?
Right?
Arizona Coyotes at Toronto Maple Leafs
7:00PM - Air Canada Centre
TV: Sportsnet Ontario, NHL Live
Radio: Sportsnet 590
SBN: Five For Howling
Wrong. The Maple Leafs are one of the top teams in the NHL right now, third in the league overall, second in goal differential, and second in goals for. The Coyotes however, are last in the league overall, last in goal differential, and 24th in goals for. The Leafs have their top draft pick in 2016 up in the NHL for his second season (Mitchell Marner, 4th overall) and the Coyotes have theirs....in the AHL (Dylan Strome, 3rd overall)...after being send back to junior last year.
Does the Coyotes two game winning streak mean much? Well, they barely beat the Canadiens in regulation, winning 5-4 with the game-tying goal having been recalled. They needed overtime to beat the Senators 3-2 on Saturday afternoon, and neither team is a powerhouse in the league, let alone the Atlantic division.
This should be an easy win for the Leafs, especially now that everyone is at full health and Auston Matthews is back as the number one centre. On paper our roster is better and in this little chart down there out basic numbers are better too:
Numbers Preview
| Maple Leafs | Team | Devils |
|---|---|---|
| 265GF - 226GA - +29 | Goal Differential | 238GF - 234GA - +4 |
| 24.4% - 2nd overall | Power Play | 21.7 - 10th overall |
| 81.3% - 12th overall | Penalty Kill | 81.9% - 7th overall |
| James van Riemsdyk - 36 | Most Goals | Taylor Hall - 39 |
| Mitch Marner - 47 | Most Assists | Taylor Hall - 54 |
| Mitch Marner - 69 | Most Points | Taylor Hall - 93 |
| Matt Martin - 50 | Most PM | Miles Wood - 84 |
| Jake Gardiner - 22:33/G | TOI Leader | Sami Vatanen - 22:42 |
| Frederik Andersen - .917sv% | Starting Goalie | Keith Kincaid - .911sv% |
The only thing that can take away all of the Maple Leafs advantages is getting cocky and not taking the Coyotes seriously.
Leafs lines
Standard configuration as seen as morning skate.
Forwards:
Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Mitch Marner
Matt Martin - Dominic Moore - Connor Brown
Nikita Soshnikov, Josh Leivo
Defense Pairings:
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Andreas Borgman - Connor Carrick
Roman Polak
Goaltenders:
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
Arizona Coyotes Lines
From Leftwinglock, subject to change.
Forwards:
Brendan Perlini - Derek Stepan - Tobias Reider
Clayton Keller - Brad Richardson - Christian Fischer
Max Domi - Christian Dvorak - Zac Rinaldo
Jordan Martinook - Mario Kemp - Anthony Duclair
Defense Pairings:
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Kevin Connauton
Alex Goligoski - Jason Demers
Joel Hanley - Luke Schenn
Goaltenders:
Antti Raanta
Scott Wedgewood
The Maple Leafs have a chance to extend their winning streak to seven games tonight. Don’t take it easy on the Coyotes. Play them as you’d play the Lightning. Don’t sit on a lead, don’t play soft in your own end. Win this game or join the list of teams that have lost to the Coyotes. Don’t be the Senators or the Canadiens or the Hurricanes or the Flyers.
Be the best.
Be the Maple Leafs.
