The Maple Leafs hope to make it 3-0-0 in the 2024-25 season series against the Lightning tonight at Scotiabank Arena (7:30 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime).
Three of Toronto’s forward lines and all three defense pairings will look different than they did to start the game in Montreal.
Up front, the combination of Max Pacioretty’s injury (UBI, day-to-day), likely allied with some consideration for Max Domi’s struggles with consistency in the middle of the ice this season, means rookie Fraser Minten will step into the lineup in between Domi (shifted to LW) and Nick Robertson on the third line. After two strong games (one assist, two drawn penalties, and promotion to William Nylander’s line in Montreal), Pontus Holmberg will start the night at 2C.
On the backend, Philippe Myers will step out of the lineup after the benching in Montreal, and Simon Benoit will return. After Myers’ benching, Jake McCabe skated several shifts on Morgan Rielly’s right and will start tonight’s game there, while Chris Tanev re-unites with OEL and Benoit joins Conor Timmins on a familiar bottom pairing.
Situationally — key defensive-zone draws vs. the Kucherov line, etc. — expect Tanev and McCabe to still see time together, but with two of the three defense pairings in flux and four lefties in the lineup, the coaching staff has split their most dependable pairing up in hopes of giving Rielly some stability with McCabe and getting more than one pair rolling. Early results in the big matchups vs. the loaded-up Lightning top six will dictate how long these pairings last.
In net, Jon Cooper is giving the nod to Jonas Johansson in the first half of their Toronto/Montreal back-to-back instead of the second half. Cooper cited the need to manage his goaltenders over 82 games, but you can’t help but wonder if Andrei Vasilevsky’s .810 save percentage in the Lightning’s two losses to the Leafs this season had a little something to do with it.
Game Day Quotes
Jon Cooper on the meaning of tonight’s divisional matchup:
We’ve played under eight games in our division, and we haven’t done as well as we’d like. We are 0-2 against these guys this year.
For us, it is one of those games that says, “Where are we at?” If we go down 0-3 to Toronto, to me, it is not where we want to be.
We are starting a four-game road trip. We have two back-to-backs. I’d be really disappointed if we don’t come out strong here.
Cooper on where his team has fallen short versus the Leafs this season:
First of all, falling behind is not a good thing. In the one in Tampa, it didn’t feel good being down 4-0, and it was kind of the same when we were in here. I don’t think we really gave ourselves a chance. In Tampa, we closed the gap, but 4-0 is 4-0.
Our starts have to be better.
Cooper on the decision to start Jonas Johansson in goal:
Well, it’s time. Everybody reads a ton into this. It’s all about managing the goaltenders. We manage for 82, not one or two, and so it’s just the way the rotation goes. JJ falls in line tonight.
Cooper on healthy scratching Brayden Point a week ago and how he approaches accountability with star players:
You know why they’re superstars? Because they get it. If they aren’t held accountable, who is going to be?
It is not the actual player who feels it at times. It is the rest of the team. You are coaching the team, not just one player.
In saying that, do coaches love doing it? No. It is not something you get joy out of. You want to make sure everything goes smoothly for 82 games, but we’ve all been around long enough to know it is not going to happen.
No fun to do it, but ultimately, your job is to put yourself in the best position to win both physically and mentally. Sometimes, it has to happen.
Cooper on the Atlantic Division race:
There used to be a top four and another four. That is how it was for a long time. That is clearly not the case anymore. In playing the teams in our division, the gap has closed.
Whether Toronto or Florida are the class of the division right now, they are not a class above everybody else in this division, whereas in years past, I think that used to be the case.
It is a coin flip right now.
Jake McCabe on the adjustment to the right side:
It is just a little bit more skating, making sure I know what is coming behind me when I get the puck, making good puck decisions, and communicating between Mo and me. It is nothing too crazy. I have played enough on the right side now, but that is what I tell myself: scan the ice a bit more before I get the puck.
McCabe on the opportunity to play with Morgan Rielly:
His whole career, he has had a tremendous ability to move up into areas, find those soft areas as a second attack with second layers, and be an option for the forwards on the weak side of the ice on the breakout, or whatever it might be, with his skating ability and getting pucks through.
I am excited to play together, have good communication, break up pucks, and get going the other way.
McCabe on the challenge of shutting down Nikita Kucherov:
The catchphrase is to take away time and space, which is important, but for a guy like him, he seems like he always knows where his options are.
You have to be aware, before you go to take away his time and space and leave the middle of the ice, that you have it covered off, whether it is a centerman sitting there waiting for a pop play or he can make plays on his backhand or forehand off the wall.
You have to be aware of what is away from him that he is looking to set up.
Simon Benoit on his healthy scratch in Montreal:
It wasn’t personal. It’s part of the game. I’m more angry at myself. Obviously, not being in the lineup pisses me off, but I have to be better. It’s on me. It’s all about the team.
Matthew Knies on Fraser Minten entering the lineup:
Every time he has been called on, he has done the job. He is a guy we can trust in all three zones. We’re excited to have him back. He can help us win.
Craig Berube on the biggest challenge presented by the Lightning:
We all know they can score goals, but they defend hard and their goalie is really good, and they compete.
This is a competitive team. They win a lot of battles — a lot of puck battles — and that sticks out to me more than anything. I get that they have high-end players and can make plays, but it is the battle level and the effort that they put in every shift that stand out to me.
Berube on shifting around the defense pairings:
When McCabe was out and OEL was playing with Tanev, they were good together. They like playing together. McCabe played on the right side last year quite a bit here in Toronto. We are going to try him with Morgan.
Morgan has had a lot of partners this year. It is not his fault or anybody’s fault. It is how things go with injuries and finding the right shot to play over there. McCabe has experience. He is a very good player and defender. That is what we are looking for tonight.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs (29-16-2) vs. Lightning (25-16-3)
In the 2024-25 regular season statistics, Tampa Bay holds the advantage in three out of five offensive categories, but Toronto holds the advantage in three out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#74 Bobby McMann — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #88 William Nylander
#11 Max Domi — #39 Fraser Minten — #89 Nick Robertson
#24 Connor Dewar — #64 David Kampf — #18 Steven Lorentz
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #44 Morgan Rielly
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson — #8 Chris Tanev
#2 Simon Benoit — #25 Conor Timmins
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#35 Dennis Hildeby
Extras: Ryan Reaves, Philippe Myers
Injured (day-to-day): Max Pacioretty
Injured (IR): John Tavares, Anthony Stolarz
Injured (LTIR): Calle Jarnkrok, Jani Hakanpää
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines
Forwards
#59 Jake Guentzel — #21 Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
#38 Brandon Hagel — #71 Anthony Cirelli — #20 Nick Paul
#28 Zemgus Girgensons — #14 Conor Geekie — #41 Mitchell Chaffee
#23 Michael Eyssimont – #11 Luke Glendening — #13 Cam Atkinson
Defensemen
#77 Victor Hedman — #43 Darren Raddysh
#27 Ryan McDonagh — #65 Maxwell Crozier
#78 Emil Lilleberg — #48 Nick Perbix
Goaltenders
Starter: #31 Jonas Johansson
#88 Andrei Vasilevskiy
Injured: Erik Cernak, JJ Moser
