The Maple Leafs are seeking a season-series sweep over Philadelphia — and a win for Scott Laughton — when they host the ailing Flyers (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).
Game Day Quotes
John Tortorella on the Flyers’ struggles in March (eight losses in their last nine):
Especially for a guy like Scotty (Laughton) and how long he had been there and with some of the younger guys on our team… It’s a pretty young team we have here, and Scotty was a big guy as far as off-the-ice stuff, bringing them to his house and helping the kids. I think it has been an adjustment for some of the guys.
They have been very honest with me that some guys have struggled with that. I’ll give you that. There is a human part to it. But eventually, you have to start doing your stuff here.
I am not trying to criticize any player. I think it has been a major adjustment for a few players on our team with all of the changes in our locker room.
Losing [Erik Johnson] was a big one, too, for a similar reason that we talked about with Scotty as far as coming in the morning and leaning on him for how to act. It has been an adjustment.
I don’t think we’ve played poorly on this road trip. Against Chicago, we were sloppy. I don’t think we concentrated on defending the right way and made some mistakes, but in the prior games to that, we were right in the games.
We have a different lineup. Shit is going to happen. We just have to keep playing and go about our business.
Tortorella on Scott Laughton’s impact in Philly and his transition to a new team in Toronto:
The way I can explain it: He’s just full of the glue of a locker room. That’s really important — especially with where we are at as an organization and what we’re trying to build — to have that foundation guy to understand the small things before you get on the ice and help transport that over to our younger guys. I thought he was very important that way.
It’s hard for him. I know it’s been a little bit of an adjustment for him here. You’ve been with one organization for your whole career; drafted (by the Flyers), and gone through all of the crap we’ve gone through.
In talking to him, he’s just trying to keep his head down and fit in. When he’d walk into a locker room in Philly, he’d take it over. It’s been an adjustment period, and I hope people are patient with him. It’s a huge adjustment for him, but you’re going to find out what he is about, eventually.
Scott Laughton on facing his old team:
It is going to be different. Looking at the pre-scout, I am in some of the clips. It is definitely a little weird.
We’ll take it as it goes, get a good sleep in this afternoon, and get back on track here.
Laughton on whether he’s ready to go to battle with good friend Travis Konecny:
I am ready for him. I have always been ready for him. We were always going after each other in the room anyway.
There are a lot of good people over there, and a lot of good guys who are going to help that organization get through this, as well as a lot of good staff members, too.
I saw staff [last night] in the hotel. We are in the same hotel. I’ve got a room pretty close to Torts.
Tortorella on being hotel neighbours with Laughton in Toronto:
He is next to me! I said, “Stay in your room, and I’ll stay in mine. I don’t even want to see you.”
Laughton on whether he’s been a resource for Craig Berube in the game prep:
The way they play kind of explains itself. Really hard-working team that plays simple. There were maybe a few questions throughout the day about them, but not too many.
They have great guys in that room, and you know what you are going to get from them. We are going to have to compete really hard, win puck battles, and make it hard on them; put pucks on net and create for ourselves because they do block a lot of shots, play in tight, and it is hard to get to the net and generate.
It will be a tough game. We’ll need to compete and win our battles.
Laughton on the differences between a Tortorella- and Berube-coached team:
Systems are a little bit different, I would say, but they’re two very honest guys, and you know where you stand. That’s all you can ask for from a coach — to know where you stand.
It hasn’t changed a whole lot. They are two similar guys who want to get the best out of you. They are hard on you. They’re pretty similar in their day-to-day ways.
Even with rest and things like that, they are pretty old-school in that way, which is a pretty good thing.
Laughton on whether he went with #24 because of his friend Nick Seeler in Philly:
It is one of the reasons. I was going to go with #49, my old training camp number, but once this opened up… There are a couple of guys who have worn it here.
Seels is one of my favourite players. I am going to stay away from him tonight, though.
Craig Berube on the emotions Laughton will feel against his former team:
A lot for him, for sure. He was there for a long time, and there is going to be emotion for him individually when playing against his old team and everything that goes into it.
Our guys will be ready to go.
Berube on the challenges to be aware of with the Flyers despite their position in the standings:
Their effort, competitiveness, and pressure. They come. They’re coming with five guys all over the ice. You have to fight for your ice against them. They are going to give everything they’ve got.
All John Tortorella teams play hard, compete hard, and they’re coming with pressure.
Head-to-Head Stats: Maple Leafs (42-25-3) vs. Flyers (28-35-9)
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
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#74 Bobby McMann — #91 John Tavares — #88 William Nylander
#24 Scott Laughton — #11 Max Domi — #89 Nick Robertson
#18 Steven Lorentz — #64 David Kampf — #19 Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
#22 Jake McCabe — #8 Chris Tanev
#44 Morgan Rielly — #25 Brandon Carlo
#2 Simon Benoit — #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#60 Joseph Woll
Extras: Pontus Holmberg, Philippe Myers
Injured (LTIR): Jani Hakanpää, Max Pacioretty
Philadelphia Flyers Projected Lines
Forwards
#71 Tyson Foerster — #27 Noah Cates — #10 Bobby Brink
#39 Matvei Michkov — #14 Sean Couturier — #11 Travis Konecny
#62 Olle Lycksell — #25 Ryan Poehling — #22 Jakob Pelletier
#44 Nicolas Deslaurier — #18 Rodrigo Abols — #74 Owen Tippett
Defensemen
#8 Cam York — #6 Travis Sanheim
#24 Nick Seeler — #9 Jamie Drysdale
#5 Egor Zamula — #36 Emil Andrae
Goaltenders
Starter: #33 Samuel Ersson
#82 Ivan Fedotov
Injured: Garnet Hathaway, Rasmus Ristolainen
