As the injuries pile up at the forward position, Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin will make their season and NHL debuts, respectively, as the Maple Leafs host the 11-5-2 Golden Knights (7:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet).
Leafs are currently without the following forwards:
Max Domi (IR)
Calle Jarnkrok (LTIR)
David Kampf (IR)
Auston Matthews (IR)
Max Pacioretty (LTIR)
Ryan Reaves (suspended five games)@TSN_Edge— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 20, 2024
With Max Domi taking some much-needed time off after playing through injury (IR), David Kampf out until at least Dec. 14 (LTIR), and Auston Matthews’ return date still TBD, this will be a big test for the likes of Pontus Holmberg and Fraser Minten down the middle of the ice against the size, skill and depth at center ice of Vegas (Jack Eichel, Nic Roy, and William Karlsson).
Solid defensive play, improved special teams, offensive leadership from Tavares, Marner, Nylander, and Knies, and stellar goaltending have provided the foundation for the Leafs in these Matthews-less games (5-1-0) despite a 43% shot attempt share and 45% expected goal share at five-on-five. The formula will need to be much the same as the Leafs are without two more of their NHL centermen ahead of this challenge against the Pacific Division leaders.
Game Day Quotes
Bruce Cassidy on the challenge against a Leafs team with several injuries up front:
Marner is always a threat. In my days in Boston, Nylander was a Bruin killer. We know that John Tavares is having a great year. They still have a lot of offensive threats.
We don’t see them a lot being out west, but they are tighter in front of the net taking care of business. They are probably a different animal than I am used to seeing, but I have seen a lot of Chief’s teams before. They are going to play hard and play together.
It should be a good game that way. We tend to play well in those types of games. Hopefully, that gets us excited.
Cassidy on Chris Tanev’s game:
He did a good job against us last year in the playoffs with Dallas. He eats a lot of pucks and values the defensive side of it. He really takes pride in shutting down the other team’s best players. He did a good job of it, and their whole D did last year. He is a hard-nosed guy.
Craig Berube on Max Domi missing tonight’s game:
It was just time. He needs some time off to rest and get healthy. That is the bottom line. He practiced yesterday, but he wasn’t doing well.
He wants to play, but we have to do what is best for him, too. He’ll get some time off. We don’t play again until Sunday, so he’ll get some rest and heal up.
Berube on the message to Nikita Grebenkin ahead of his NHL debut:
I haven’t had a chance to watch him a ton with the Marlies, but he is a big guy. He is strong. He is strong on pucks and physical.
That’s his game. Use it to your advantage. Be smart with pucks. Be simple and smart. Use your size in the offensive zone and your strength on the puck. Get your shots off, and get to the net. Be responsible defensively.
The biggest thing I tell all these guys is that you have to be responsible defensively.
Berube on the jolt a couple of rookies can provide in the lineup:
I don’t mind it at all. I think both kids have a great future.
Minten is a really intelligent player and two-way centerman. He is a very responsible player. I am looking forward to seeing both of them tonight.
Berube on the decision to start Joseph Woll after Anthony Stolarz’s strong performance on Saturday:
It is always a tough decision. We have been kind of rotating here, and I think it has worked well. We are going to continue to do that.
Berube on swapping Jani Hakanpaa out for Simon Benoit:
I wanted to get Benny back in there. I don’t want him sitting too long. Hak came in and did a good job, but it is just a coach’s decision tonight.
Fraser Minten on the difference in his game/mindset compared to a year ago when he made his NHL debut:
A little older, stronger, and more mature. I have a bit of experience under my belt, so I know what to expect. I am still new to the league, though. Still new to me.
Nikita Grebenkin ahead of his first NHL game:
If we win, I’ll enjoy it. If we don’t, I won’t enjoy.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#74 Bobby McMann — #91 John Tavares — #16 Mitch Marner
#23 Matthew Knies — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #88 William Nylander
#71 Nikita Grebenkin — #39 Fraser Minten — #89 Nick Robertson
#46 Alex Steeves — #24 Connor Dewar — #18 Steven Lorentz
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #8 Chris Tanev
#44 Morgan Rielly — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
#2 Simon Benoit — #25 Conor Timmins
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#41 Anthony Stolarz
Extras: Jani Hakanpää
Suspended: Ryan Reaves (five games)
Injured (IR): Auston Matthews, Max Domi
Injured (LTIR): Calle Jarnkrok, Dakota Mermis, Max Pacioretty, David Kampf
Vegas Golden Knights Projected Lines
Forwards
#49 Ivan Barbashev — #9 Jack Eichel — #16 Pavel Dorofeyev
#48 Tomas Hertl — #10 Nicolas Roy — #55 Keegan Kolesar
#21 Brett Howden — #71 William Karlsson — #26 Alexander Holtz
#70 Tanner Pearson — #22 Cole Schwindt — Cal Burke
Defensemen
#7 Alex Pietrangelo — #27 Shea Theodore
#3 Brayden McNabb — #6 Kaedan Korczak
#15 Noah Hanifin — #2 Zach Whitecloud
Goaltenders
Starter: #33 Adin Hill
#35 Ilya Samsonov
Injured: Mark Stone, Ben Hutton, Victor Olofsson, Nicolas Hague
