In the second half of a back-to-back, the Maple Leafs are playing a man short, resting both Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, and lining Conor Timmins up at forward in the penultimate game of the regular season tonight in Tampa (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).
The Lightning, meanwhile, are expected to play their full lineup and are on two days’ rest.
Head to Head: Lightning vs. Maple Leafs
In the season-to-date statistics, the Lightning hold the advantage over the Leafs in three out of five offensive categories, but the Leafs hold the advantage in five out of five defensive categories.
Game Day Quotes
Sheldon Keefe on managing the bench with only 11 forwards and six defensemen:
It’s a little extra opportunity for everybody. We will get a look at some different things and different matchups.
It is going to be another really competitive, physical game and all of those kinds of things.
It is a good chance for us. We will be 11 forwards and six defense. We will go one under.
There will be lots of ice time for guys, and six D will get to roll with consistency. 11 forwards is pretty much the same as it has been.
Keefe on Mitch Marner’s comment that he doesn’t like to sit out games:
I don’t think anyone wants to sit out games, but I think the conversations he has with me are different than the ones he has with you.
Keefe on the importance of Marner reaching 100 points:
All of our players, Mitch included, are looking big picture. There is a lot of reason here; in a back-to-back after an intense game yesterday, Mitch has played more than anybody on our team, and he is going to play more than anybody on our team when it counts the most.
He will go back in on Thursday, and he will have an opportunity to get that.
I forget where he finished last year, but in my mind, you round up. That is the way it works. I can’t remember what grade it was when my kids went through the rounding stage, but they know how to do that. To me, you are a 100-point guy as it is, but you’d like to get there.
All of our players are focused on bigger things.
Zach Aston-Reese on getting up for this matchup vs. the Leafs‘ round-one opponent in Tampa:
I think it is going to be a little bit of a tone-setter.
We are battling with a bit of adversity. Some guys are taking a rest. I think it is a good opportunity for everyone, especially for someone like me in the bottom six, to get a little bit more playing time.
It will be good for Kniesy to get some playing time. Good opportunity for a lot of guys.
ZAR on Matthew Knies’ first game:
I thought he was really strong last night. His skating is really good and the way he protects the puck. He had a couple of o-zone shifts where he was putting guys in the spin cycle down low.
I think the future is bright for him.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies – #90 Ryan O’Reilly – #88 William Nylander
#58 Michael Bunting – #91 John Tavares – #19 Calle Järnkrok
#52 Noel Acciari – #15 Alex Kerfoot
#12 Zach Aston-Reese – #64 David Kämpf – #25 Conor Timmins
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe – #37 Timothy Liljegren
#78 TJ Brodie – #3 Justin Holl
#44 Morgan Rielly – #2 Luke Schenn
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
Matt Onuska (ATO)
Extras: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Ilya Samsonov, Mark Giordano
Injured: Erik Gustafsson, Sam Lafferty, Matt Murray, Nick Robertson, Jake Muzzin, Victor Mete
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines
Forwards
#38 Brandon Hagel – #21 Brayden Point – #86 Nikita Kucherov
#91 Steven Stamkos – #20 Nick Paul – #17 Alex Killorn
#79 Ross Colton – #71 Anthony Cirelli – #23 Michael Eyssimont
#14 Patrick Maroon – #41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – #10 Corey Perry
Defensemen
#77 Victor Hedman – #48 Nick Perbix
#98 Mikhail Sergachev – #43 Darren Raddysh
#28 Ian Cole – #81 Erik Cernak
Goaltenders
Starter: #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy
#1 Brian Elliot
Injured: Tanner Jeannot
