After a recent 6-3 loss to New Jersey in Toronto, a tired Maple Leafs team is looking for payback against a Jack Hughes-less Devils lineup tonight at the Prudential Center (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).
Game Day Quotes
Sheldon Keefe on whether he wants his team to remember the 6-3 loss to New Jersey from late March:
I certainly want them to remember it. It is not necessarily specific to New Jersey, but more about how we want to play as a team. We have done a good job of that since then.
We have done a good job, for the most part, up until that point. It is just a reminder that when we don’t take care of the puck and make it easy for the opposition to get to our net, it makes it easy to win. This team certainly has the skill and ability to counter-punch. It is really more about us having a disciplined approach to our game.
Keefe on giving Samsonov the night off:
We had a plan for Sammy that we were not going to have him make the trip to save him the travel and have a nothing day. We felt Jones could back up for us. It just made sense.
Sammy will take the day off, and we will have a team day off. Sammy will get a little bit of work done with Curtis, but really, it is about managing and benefitting from three goalies.
Keefe on Joseph Woll battling inconsistency since his return from injury:
I am not certain inconsistency is the right word. He is a young goalie who doesn’t have a lot of experience in the league, and he missed a long period of time coming back from injury. Finding a groove has been difficult.
The challenge for him has been taking each day and game as they come. It is a challenge and an opportunity for him tonight to go in, trust his skill, and for the team to do a better job in front of him — certainly, a better job than the last time against these guys.
TJ Brodie on the lesson from the recent defeat to New Jersey:
We have been playing well, especially defensively, with being patient and not forcing things when we are not putting the puck in the net. If it takes a full 60, it takes a full 60.
Travis Green on the lessons from the last game against Toronto:
They’re good [laughs]. They make a lot of plays. They move the puck well. They pass it well and skate well. We have to be ready for their speed and skill. They are going to be a determined group. They have a lot to play for right now.
Green on the challenge against Auston Matthews:
He is one of the best players in the world. He has a great release and a great shot with a great nose for the net. It is not just his play with the puck. He has become a really good two-way player as well.
When people talk about you in the manner of one of the best players in the world, there is a long list of what you’re good at… He is a big centerman who controls the game in many ways. Usually, guys who score that many goals are pure goal scorers. It is well known that he brings a lot of other things.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs vs. Devils
In the season-to-date statistics, the Leafs hold the advantage over the Devils in four out of five offensive categories and three out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#59 Tyler Bertuzzi – #34 Auston Matthews – #11 Max Domi
#74 Bobby McMann – #91 John Tavares – #16 Mitchell Marner
#89 Nick Robertson – #29 Pontus Holmberg – #88 William Nylander
#23 Matthew Knies – #64 David Kampf – #18 Noah Gregor
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly – #78 TJ Brodie
#2 Simon Benoit – #22 Jake McCabe
#55 Mark Giordano – #25 Conor Timmins
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#31 Martin Jones
Scratched: Ilya Samsonov, Ilya Lyubushkin, Connor Dewar, Ryan Reaves
Injured: Calle Jarnkrok, Timothy Liljegren, Joel Edmundson
New Jersey Devils Projected Lines
Forwards
#15 Shane Bowers – #13 Nico Hischier – #63 Jesper Bratt
#28 Timo Meier – #56 Erik Haula – #10 Alexander Holtz
#18 Ondrej Palat – #92 Tomas Nosek – #91 Dawson Mercer
#48 Brian Halonen – #11 Chris Tierney – #25 Nolan Foote
Defensemen
#43 Luke Hughes – #6 John Marino
#88 Kevin Bahl – #2 Brendan Smith
#71 Jonas Siegenthaler – #17 Simon Nemec
Goaltenders
Starter: #34 Jake Allen
#40 Akira Schmid
Injured: Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Nathan Bastian, Kurtis MacDermid, Curtis Lazar, Kaapo Kahkonen
