The Maple Leafs will enter the holiday break after one final tough test against the league-leading Winnipeg Jets (2:00 p.m. EST, TSN3 & TSN4).
Game Day Quotes
Craig Berube on what he’s looking for from his team coming off the 6-3 loss to the Islanders:
Get back to our identity a little bit more.
I think we’ve gotten away from it lately, in my opinion, on the checking side of things. We have to get back to that where we are tight all over and are not giving up much. I find we are giving a little bit too much up right now and are a little loose at times.
The other thing is puck management.
Berube on whether his team’s compete level is where it needs to be:
No, not all the time.
Berube on whether Auston Matthews’ injury situation is improving:
There is a little bit (of improvement). He gets relief at times, but it is not good enough.
He is going to rest over the break, and hopefully, he comes back in a lot better shape.
Berube on Joseph Woll’s ability to bounce back after conceding five versus the Isles:
He is competitive and has played really well for us.
We were loose in front of him last game, especially early in the game, giving two goals up in five minutes. It is tough for the goalie, right? They weren’t easy saves. They were tough plays.
He has played well for us. I expect the same going forward.
Berube on whether anything about the preparation changes for 2 p.m. puck drop:
Not necessarily. For afternoon games, you come in a little bit earlier and get prepared as yo normally do. It happens quicker, right? You are not waiting all day for a game.
Jets head coach Scott Arniel on lessons from his team’s 6-4 loss to Toronto in October:
For 30 minutes, we didn’t play very well. Toronto got after us pretty good. We turned a lot of pucks over, both in our end of the rink and also getting through the neutral zone. They do a really good job with their 1-2-2. They clog up space. We are going to have to be a lot better from the start.
I liked how we got out against Minnesota (last game). It is the same thing here. In these afternoon games, you have to make sure you are ready. [The Leafs] are good in this building. We have to be sharp.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs (21-11-2) vs. Jets (24-10-1)
In the 2024-25 regular season statistics, Winnipeg holds the advantage in three out of five offensive categories and three out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #91 John Tavares — #16 Mitch Marner
#89 Nick Robertson — #11 Max Domi — #88 William Nylander
#74 Bobby McMann — #64 David Kampf — #67 Max Pacioretty
#18 Steven Lorentz — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #24 Connor Dewar
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
#44 Morgan Rielly — #51 Philippe Myers
#2 Simon Benoit — #25 Conor Timmins
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#35 Dennis Hildeby
Extras: Ryan Reaves, Philippe Myers
Injured: Auston Matthews, Chris Tanev
Injured (IR): Jani Hakanpää, Anthony Stolarz
Injured (LTIR): Calle Jarnkrok
Winnipeg Jets Projected Lines
Forwards
#81 Kyle Connor — #55 Mark Scheifele — #13 Gabriel Vilardi
#27 Nikolaj Ehlers— #7 Vladislav Namestnikov — #91 Cole Perfetti
#62 Nino Nederreiter — #17 Adam Lowry — #22 Mason Appleton
#36 Morgan Barron — #19 David Gustafsson — #9 Alex Iaffalo
Defensemen
#44 Josh Morrissey — #2 Dylan DeMelo
#24 Haydn Fleury — #4 Neal Pionk
#14 Ville Heinola — #6 Colin Miller
Goaltenders
#37 Connor Hellebuyck
#1 Eric Comrie
Injured/Out: Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg
