Nashville Predators @ Toronto Maple Leafs
07:00 PM at Scotiabank Arena
Watch on: TSN4, SCRIPPS

The Leafs last game was at home on October 3 against the Ottawa Senators, which Toronto lost by a score of 3-2 in regulation. The Leafs have a record of 1-2-0 for a 0.333 Points %.

The Nashville Predators last played at home on October 3 against the Dallas Stars. The Predators won by a score of 2-1 in regulation, and their current league record is 1-1-0 for a 0.500 Points %.

Them

I don't understand this team. I don't know why they experimented with Barry Trotz as GM, why he left, why they hired Chris MacFarland and then traded away their best player for picks, but didn't trade anyone else.

I don't know what Alex Kerfoot is doing playing on their top line, and I can't tell if they're rebuilding badly, retooling badly or just waiting out the season to get to the trade deadline.

They are paying Matt Duchene for three more years, though.

Goalie Justus Annunen is just coming back from injury and yesterday's practice featured four different fourth liners.

Lines

Max Herz via Daily Faceoff

Steven Stamkos - Ryan O'Reilly - Alex Kerfoot
Filip Forsberg - Matthew Wood - Nils Höglander
Ross Colton - Mavrik Bourque - Jonathan Marchessault
Vitali Pinchuk/Reid Shaefer/Jack Drury/Adam Edström

Nicolas Hague - Roman Josi
Brady Skjei - Nick Perbix
William Trudeau - Adam Wilsby

Jusse Saros - likely starter
Justus Annunen

Us

The Leafs had another optional skate, so the lines below are from yesterday where nothing changed in the arrangement.

There are at least eight articles asking if anyone should panic about the second line and every player quote is about how no one should panic. Take their advice.

Lines

David Alter via Daily Faceoff

Kirill Marchenko - Auston Matthews - Jack Roslovic
Gavin McKenna - John Tavares - William Nylander
Easton Cowan - Nick Paul - Colton Sissons
Brandon Duhaime - Teddy Blueger - Bo Groulx

Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly - Darren Raddysh
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Troy Stecher

Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz - starter

The Game

Last year, Nashville was a 50/50 team (with Luke Evangelista) and they put on a push late to try to make the playoffs. They would have had no chance in the Eastern Conference, and were not particularly good at anything. Nor were they very bad. They kind of were the poster child for meh. They are not better this year by any measure.

So, Leafs, you really do need to put on a bit of a show here and not finish up in a one-goal game where anything can be the deciding factor.

Let's see how they do.

Game Coverage