Maple Leafs (20-14-4) @ Devils (12-19-5) 7:00 p.m.
Watch on: MSG+ Sportsnet Ontario (blackouts in effect)
Opponent’s site: All About the Jersey
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils join 20 other teams in a return to NHL hockey tonight after a three day Christmas break. For those who have forgotten during this weeks festivities, the Leafs are on a five game winning streak. The most recent victory was a crazy 8-6 win against the Hurricanes on Monday afternoon, which was the seventh win in the past eight games.
Tonight is the first of three games against the Devils this season. The other two will both be here in Toronto. It’s also the first game of a back-to-back; the second game is tomorrow in Toronto against the Rangers.
Maple Leafs Lines (source: Kevin McGran at morning skate)
Ilya Mikheyev - John Tavares - William Nylander
Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - Mitchell Marner
Pierre Engvall - Alexander Kerfoot - Kasperi Kapanen
Dmytro Timashov - Frederik Gauthier - Jason Spezza
Morgan Rielly - Tyson Barrie
Jake Muzzin - Justin Holl
Travis Dermott - Cody Ceci
Could these lines change more? Maybe. Guess who is back.
The @MapleLeafs have recalled defenceman Martin Marincin and forward Adam Brooks from the @TorontoMarlies (AHL). pic.twitter.com/WcywGVhO0y
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 27, 2019
.@MapleLeafs forward Trevor Moore will not play tonight vs NJ Devils and is out indefinitely with a concussion. #LeafsForever
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 27, 2019
The longer this goes on, the more serious we have to think was that “bump” in practice which extended his absence, and the more questions there are about when or if this will become an LTIR situation.
Devils Lines (source: Abbey Mastracco at morning skate)
Jesper Bratt - Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri
Blake Coleman - Travis Zajac - Nikita Gusev
Miles Wood - Jack Hughes - Wayne Simmonds
Jesper Boqvist - Pavel Zacha - John Hayden
Andy Greene - P.K. Subban
Will Butcher - Sami Vatanen
Mirco Mueller - Damon Severson
There's a hard 1st-round pick in the Hall trade PLUS another conditional 1st-round pick IF the Coyotes re-sign Hall AND win a playoff round. The conditional pick becomes a third-round pick if neither of those things happen. And a 2nd-round pick if one of those 2 things happen
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 16, 2019
This is the Devils new post-Taylor Hall lineup after he was traded to the Coyotes for picks and prospects on December 16.
The Devils are second last in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only the Red Wings who are having a historically bad season. The Devils themselves have won only 12 of 36 games in what some of their fans think is the most disappointing season in recent memory considering the collection of sought-after free agents signed by the team in the off-season.
In Goal
Mackenzie Blackwood, who was famously suspended from the World Juniors, is in net for the Devils. Guess who starts the back-to-back for the Leafs?
Goaltending matchup tonight will be #NJDevils Mackenzie Blackwood against Toronto's Michael Hutchinson. https://t.co/RT9KzeeuSc
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) December 27, 2019
The goal here is to just win this. It should be a simple game. Hopefully there’s no post-holiday hangovers to sort out.
