Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Nashville Predators – Game #56 Preview, Projected Lines & TV Info

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Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m. EST  |  Arena: Air Canada Centre |  TV: Sportsnet |  Radio: TSN 1050

Game Day Quotes

Mike Babcock on facing tough opponents and using them as a measuring stick for his team:

Well, I think it’s important. I think you’re playing all these games in the league and you have a great game every night because the other teams are so even. But you have a team that’s high in the standings and a team that went very deep last year, so you have a chance to see where you’re at and see if you’re any good or not. We think we are, but you’ve got to show it on a nightly basis. It should be fun tonight.

Babcock on facing a Predators team that is equipped with a very strong blue line:

Well, you’ve got to be aware of their back end. It’s way more fun to play against them in their zone than it is in your zone. Real simple. So, how are you going to organize and structure that and make sure that happens? They’ve done a good job there. They’ve had a lot of good D over the years. They’ve been able to move them out and add others — they’ve done a nice job. If you look at the good teams, they have good back ends.

Babcock on the Leafs‘ defensive play against Anaheim in the team’s 7-4 win on Monday:

I thought we were no good sorting it out off the rush coming into our zone, which is going to be important. There was lots of good defensive play, but most of it was in the o-zone. There was tons of turnovers from each team, so I think the game’s getting tighter and tighter and it’s hard to have clean pucks.

I showed the guys one play today, for example. We had to get it back six times before we got the play on net. That’s because the other team is trying, too. They’re going to be trying tonight, too, so I don’t imagine there will be lots of space, but we’ve got to sort it out better coming into our own zone. Especially because Josi will be coming, Subban and Ellis — even Weber, for that matter. They can all make plays from the back end.

Mitch Marner on the keys to the game versus the Predators:

Obviously, it’s better for them to be in their zone than ours. I mean, we’ve got to make sure we start a heavy forecheck early and make it hard on them to try and join the rush or, if they do, make sure they’re tired on the way back. It’s going to be a big key to us tonight: Trying to get that puck in and work them down low.

Matchup Stats

Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lineup

*We have added goal, assist, and point totals for each player below the lines. Total goals per line are indicated, too, as well as save percentage for goalies.

Forwards

Hyman – Matthews – Nylander
  (55-11-19-30) – (46-25-18-43) – (54-12-29-41) Total: 48
Marleau – Kadri – Marner
(55-17-9-26) – (53-17-16-33) – (55-10-27-37)  Total: 44
Van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Brown
  (54-20-12-32) – (53-8-19-27) – (55-12-8-20) Total: 40
Komarov – Moore – Kapanen
 (54-5-10-15) – (37-4-5-9) – (12-3-1-4)  Total: 12

Defencemen

Rielly – Hainsey
 (49-5-27-32) – (53-3-15-18) Total: 8
Gardiner – Zaitsev
 (55-3-30-33) – (38-4-6-10) Total: 7
Dermott – Polak
(12-1-3-4) – (33-2-4-6) Total: 3

Goaltenders

Andersen (.921 sv%)
McElhinney (.932 sv%)

Scratched: Martin, Leivo, Carrick

Nashville Predators Projected Lineup

Forwards

Sissons – Johansen – Arvidsson
  (50-5-12-17) – (48-6-27-33) – (49-17-17-34) Total: 28
Fiala – Turris – Smith
(50-17-18-35) – (36-6-16-22) – (50-16-14-30) Total: 39
Hartnell – Bonino – Jarnkrok
  (37-7-6-13) – (40-7-7-14) – (51-12-14-26) Total: 26
Salomaki – Watson – Aberg
 (36-2-5-7) – (49-5-2-7) – (43-2-4-6) Total: 9

Defencemen

Josi – Ellis
 (48-9-21-30) – (13-3-3-6) Total: 12
Ekholm – Subban
 (50-7-18-25) – (51-13-28-41) Total: 20
Emelin – Weber
 (50-1-7-8) – (29-1-2-3) Total: 2

Goaltenders

Rinne (.926 sv%)
Saros (.927 sv%)

Suspended: Forsberg

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