San Jose Sharks @ Toronto Maple Leafs
07:30 PM at Scotiabank Arena
Watch on: SN+, TVAS, NBCSCA

This game is not on broadcast television in English in Canada. It is only on SN+

The Leafs last game was at home on October 17 against the New York Islanders, which Toronto lost by a score of 4-1 in regulation. The Leafs have a record of 3-4-2 for a 0.444 Points %.

The San Jose Sharks last played away on October 17 against the Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks lost by a score of 4-3 in a shootout, and their current league record is 4-3-1 for a 0.562 Points %.

Them

The Sharks have a very slightly better record than the Leafs, and are a nice illustration of how one win or loss in a close game gives you a wildly different Points % at this time of year.

It's Ivar Stenberg time, so that will be interesting. But of course, no one touches Macklin Celebrini in any discussion of young forward talent. He is head and shoulders above Stenberg or McKenna, and is a good reminder that anytime McKenna is referred to as "a first overall" someone is trying to sell you on some expectations that aren't reasonable.

Stenberg is just Stenberg, McKenna is just McKenna.

The Sharks are also just the Sharks. They would have the worst record at five-on-five if the Flyers didn't exist. They are dramatically worse in Expected Goals than Corsi as well. This badness is coming, as it is with the Flyers, from extremely low event offence. No team, not even the Flyers, will stay this bad all season. And the Sharks' best three games have been on this eastern roadtrip.

Lines

Morning Skate

Igor Chernyshov - Macklin Celebrini - Will Smith
Mason Marchment - Alexander Wennberg - Tyler Toffoli
Ivar Stenberg - Michael Misa - Kiefer Sherwood
Barclay Goodrow - Zack Ostapchuk - Collin Graf

Darnell Nurse - Michael Kesselring
Sam Dickinson - Jacob Trouba
Dmitry Orlov - Luca Cgnoni

Yaroslav Askarov - likely starter
Alex Nedeljkovic

Us

William Nylander was ill for morning skate, so Bo Groulx took his spot on the top line temporarily. Nylander is a game-time decision. I would imagine if he can't play the lines will be revamped.

The Leafs also recalled Vinni Lettieri, who is lining up on the third line with Nick Paul busy taking over for John Tavares.

The defence is unchanged.

Artun Akhtyamov has been recalled, but that appears to be about this being a back-to-back, not anything else, and he will sit as backup for both games.

Lines

Mark Masters via Daily Faceoff from morning skate and assuming Nylander plays

William Nylander - Auston Matthews - Jack Roslovic
Easton Cowan - Nick Paul - Kirill Marchenko
Gavin McKenna - Colton Sissons - Vinni Lettieri
Brandon Duhaime - Teddy Blueger - Zack MacEwen

Jake McCabe - Darren Raddysh
Morgan Rielly - Troy Stecher
Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Nick Blankenburg

Sergei Bobrovsky - starter
Artur Akhtyamov

The Game

The Leafs still haven't beat the first-level boss in this game. "Play a solid three periods" is a hard monster to take down, but they have to keep trying. They actually did make some progress last time out, but it was hard to see what with all the goals against.

Game Coverage