The Maple Leafs are looking to avenge November’s lifeless loss to the Senators in Toronto when they visit the nation’s capital for the second game of the Leafs vs. Sens season series (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/CBC).
Bobby McMann-William Nylander has been a productive duo for the Leafs this season, outscoring the opposition 10-4 at five-on-five, but with Matthew Knies out for tonight, Craig Berube has opted to start McMann on the Matthews-Marner line.
Those three have spent all of 23 five-on-five minutes with since McMann broke the league, although they have been playing together on the five-forward power-play unit since John Tavares’ injury. Max Domi has much more experience on Matthews’ wing than McMann, but Berube’s thinking concerns the mix of elements on the overall line, with McMann serving as a reasonable playing-style replacement for Knies.
Domi will instead join the left wing of the Nylander line in what feels like a particularly big game for Domi. He is mired in a 16-game goalless slump and is minus-five in that time (six assists); recently, during Tavares’ absence, the Leafs have bumped him to the wing and inserted both Fraser Minten and Pontus Holmberg down the middle instead. Domi has also been elevated to the bumper spot of the five-forward power-play unit for tonight’s game with Knies and Tavares out of the lineup.
It’s a stretch to call it a deserved opportunity based on the merits of his recent play, but injuries present opportunities, and Domi has a big one tonight to try to get his season pointed back in the right direction.
Speaking of injuries creating opportunities, with the injuries piling up on LW — Knies, Connor Dewar, Max Pacioretty — Jacob Quillan will make his NHL debut on the left side of the fourth line with Fraser Minten and Ryan Reaves. Ahead of Quillan’s debut, be sure to catch up on his season/development with the Marlies courtesy of Mark Rackham.
Game Day Quotes
Travis Green on his team’s offensive issues of late:
We are not scoring. There is maybe a little bit of a misconception that we are trying to play this shutdown, defensive game, which we are definitely not. We want to be an aggressive team that plays very fast and plays winning hockey.
With today’s analytics, you can see where your team is. I really like what we’ve done with expected goals against. With expected goals for, we are 20th for the year, and 15th since December 1st. If you are in the top half of the league offensively and you are right near the top defensively, it is a pretty good recipe for winning.
We have preached playing the game the right way and not cheating the game. We want to take away time and space and create time and space. We have done a good job of forechecking and creating chances. We are in the top 10 there.
But we are not finishing, quite frankly. I think we are 32nd in finishing, and some of our guys have been snakebitten. Sometimes that happens.
I like the way we are playing overall this season. There have been games I didn’t like, and that is going to happen. I know the score was close in Boston, but I didn’t like our game. I didn’t think we played well enough to win that game. We are going to have to be much better tonight to win.
Green on a Leafs vs. Senators HNIC rivalry game:
It is a storied rivalry in Ontario. They’re always exciting games. For it to be intense and to have a true rivalry, both teams have to be playing for something. That creates a lot more passion in the game.
You definitely know that there will be a buzz. Whenever the Leafs and Senators play, there is going to be a buzz in both towns. There will be one tonight, and rightfully so.
Green on his memories of the battle of Ontario as a member of the Leafs during his playing days:
Back then, both teams were really good. Fierce competition. Fierce rivalry. A lot of playoff series, which were hard-fought. I vividly remember both buildings being electric when we played in them.
Craig Berube on the challenge presented by the Senators:
Defensively, they have been strong this year… They have a good team with a lot of good young players. They are maturing as it goes along. It starts on the backend with Sanderson and Chabot, and then up front, there is Stutzle and Tkachuk. They have a number of different guys and play a good brand of hockey, I think. It is always a tough battle against them.
In the last time they were in this building, they took advantage of us. We have to be emotionally invested in the game, and get to our game as quickly as possible in their building.
Jacob Quillan ahead of his NHL debut:
It feels good. I am excited. I have a lot of family coming tonight. A lot of people helped me get here. I am thankful for them. I am thankful for God. I am going to take it all in.
… I am from Nova Scotia, but my family moved out here four or five years ago. They are all here. I have uncles, aunts, and cousins coming — around 15 people. It is going to be cool to have them out.
… There is going to be excitement and nerves. I am just going to try to play my game — maybe get a hit under me on the first shift, try to get loose a little bit, and just try to play my game
Berube on the message to Quillan ahead of his NHL debut:
I talked about his skill sets and what he needs to do. He is a good skater. Use your skating, your size, and your strength. Be physical, and keep the game simple.
Get into the game; get yourself into the game in the first couple of shifts, if you can, by skating and getting involved. As the game goes along, he is going to feel more comfortable.
That’s about it. Don’t try to complicate the game.
Chris Tanev on tonight’s divisional matchup:
Big game for both teams. The standings are super tight, especially in the East, if you look. It is pretty crazy. Every two points matter.
Every game in your division is intense. You want to win to separate yourself. Definitely, down the stretch, every two points mean a lot.
Tanev on his expectations from a Senators team struggling offensively:
They have a ton of skill. They are going to get pucks to the net. They have big bodies that go to the net.
I am assuming a ton of pucks are going to the net with a ton of bodies. That is usually the recipe for everyone when pucks aren’t going in.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs (30-17-2) vs. Senators (24-20-4)
In the 2024-25 regular season statistics, Toronto holds the advantage in four out of five offensive categories and three out of five defensive categories.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#74 Bobby McMann — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#11 Max Domi — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #88 William Nylander
#18 Steven Lorentz — #64 David Kampf — #89 Nick Robertson
#61 Jacob Quillan — #39 Fraser Minten — #75 Ryan Reaves
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly — #22 Jake McCabe
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson — #8 Chris Tanev
#2 Simon Benoit — #51 Philippe Myers
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#30 Matt Murray
Extras: Nikita Grebenkin, Conor Timmins
Injured (day-to-day): Matthew Knies
Injured (IR): Connor Dewar, Max Pacioretty, John Tavares
Injured (LTIR): Anthony Stolarz, Calle Jarnkrok, Jani Hakanpää
Ottawa Senators Projected Lines
Forwards
#7 Brady Tkachuk — #18 Tim Stutzle — #57 David Perron
#28 Claude Giroux — #71 Ridly Greig — #19 Drake Batherson
#21 Nick Cousins— #12 Shane Pinto — #22 Michael Amadio
#15 Matthew Highmore — #38 Zack Ostapchuk — #81 Adam Gaudette
Defensemen
#85 Jake Sanderson — #2 Artem Zub
#72 Thomas Chabot — #23 Travis Hamonic
#43 Tyler Kleven — #33 Nikolas Matinpalo
Goaltenders
Starter: #31 Anton Forsberg
#1 Leevi Merilainen
Injured: Linus Ullmark, Josh Norris, Nick Jensen, Noah Gregor, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Coel Reinhardt