Both teams are streaking, and both sides will have players with money on the board as the Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins on Hockey Night in Canada (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet).
Game Day Quotes
Bruins head coach Marco Sturm on what this game will mean for former Leaf Fraser Minten:
Probably a lot. He might be the cool guy today, saying it is going to be just another night, but for sure, he is going to be nervous and excited.
I am glad we have him. He has been outstanding. He has just been getting better and better.
He is the first guy in and the last guy out. He is already acting like a leader, to be honest with you. Overall, as a kid, a hockey player, and a leader already, it is very impressive.
Sturm on call-up Alex Steeves (former Leaf) entering the Bruins’ lineup:
I really liked him in the preseason. He is a worker. He has the ability to score goals, but that is not why he is here. We just want him to play with details and structure, and that is kind of what I liked about him. He gives you everything he has every night, and as a coach, that is always good to know.
Sturm on the challenge presented by the Leafs:
They probably had a bit of a slower start, but if you look at them now, they are back to the identity of the way they want to play. It is going to be a challenging night for us, especially with a few guys out, but I am confident that we can hang in there with the way we are playing right now. It is definitely going to be a big one, for sure.
Alex Steeves on whether this will be an “Alex Steeves Revenge Game,” and his decision to sign in Boston:
Haha, it is whatever you want to call it. I am just happy to be here. It is my first call-up of the season. It is not about me tonight. It’s about hopefully getting two points.
I absolutely wouldn’t trade my four years here for anything. I grew up so much as a person and a player. I played for two different regimes. Ultimately, I just decided I wanted to see what other opportunities were out there. I wasn’t able to break in here. There is no bad blood or anything; I only have good things to say about Toronto.
Ultimately, the Bruins presented me an opportunity, and it is something I felt comfortable with.
Steeves on his time in Toronto:
Some of the best years of my life, honestly.
I still text with some of my buddies from the Marlies every day. I never expected to get so close with guys as I did in college, where we did everything together, but four years on one team is a long time at this level. Really, I just made some unbelievable friends, teammates, and staff members.
I love this city — good food, good people, and all of that stuff.
I absolutely loved being a Marlie and being a Leaf. It is good to be back. It feels weird going back to the hotel and not my apartment right now, for sure, but it is going to be a good night.
Fraser Minten on his relationship with Easton Cowan:
It is really good. We talk almost every day about how it is going. It’s kind of the same sort of spot as I was in last year for him. It is easy to relate to each other. There is not a lot of people who understand what it is like when you are a young guy coming from junior.
He has been a star for years now, and it is a huge transition jumping into a new role in a different league. It helps me to talk to him, and hopefully, the friendship helps him, too.
Minten on facing John Tavares, who he lived with in Toronto:
It will be tough on faceoffs, I know that for sure. It will be cool. He is a legend of the game at this point. It is cool to see all of the success he’s still having.
There is so much you can learn from a guy like that. He is so professional with every little detail and everything he does from his family life to his hockey life. If you are not paying attention to a guy like that, you’re really missing out. He is the epitome of being a pro and taking care of himself and his family.
Being around that at a young age was super valuable. I am really grateful that he welcomed me into his home. It definitely helped me a lot as a player early on.
Brandon Carlo on facing his former team for the first time:
I am just treating it like any other game. I am going to do my best to contribute to earning a victory tonight. There will be some familiar faces on the other side, but overall, enough time has passed where it is a good time to be in this situation and a fun opportunity to play against some of the guys I used to compete against in practice every day. Looking forward to the challenge.
Carlo on meeting up with his former teammates:
I had dinner with six or seven guys last night. It was great to see them and catch up. They have some new things going on with their group. They wanted a little bit of insight into what it is like behind enemy lines. It was good to see everybody, and those friendships will last a lifetime.
Carlo on who he’d like to land a hit against on the opposition:
I’d like to get a lick on Pasta. He is obviously one of their key guys. If we can eliminate his offensive presence by taking the body a little bit, that would be great.
Craig Berube on the challenge presented by the 9-7-0 Bruins, who have won five straight:
They have been a certain way for a long time. They’re a hard team. We know it is going to be a hard game with the Bruins; it always is. They’re physical, and they have some size both on the backend and up front.
With the Bruins, it is always a challenge with the game within the game. Yeah, they’ve got talented players — Pastrnak, McAvoy, and players like that — but it is more the identity of the game against the Bruins.
Maple Leafs (8-5-1) vs. Bruins (9-7-0): Head-to-Head Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies – #34 Auston Matthews – #88 William Nylander
#89 Nick Robertson – #91 John Tavares – #74 Bobby McMann
#81 Dakota Joshua – #55 Nicolas Roy – #63 Matias Maccelli
#18 Steven Lorentz – #24 Scott Laughton – #11 Max Domi
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly — #25 Brandon Carlo
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson – #22 Jake McCabe
#2 Simon Benoit – #51 Philippe Myers
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#35 Dennis Hildeby
Extras: Sammy Blais, Calle Jarnkrok, Dakota Mermis
Injured/Out: Chris Tanev (IR)
Boston Bruins Projected Lines
Forwards
#39 Morgan Geekie – #92 Marat Khusnutdinov – #88 David Pastrnak
#21 Alex Steeves – #18 Pavel Zacha – #71 Viktor Ardvidsson
#84 Tanner Jeannot – #93 Fraser Minten – #47 Mark Kastelic
#48 Jeffrey Viel – #52 Sean Kuraly – #81 Michael Eyssimont
Defensemen
#91 Nikita Zadorov – #20 Henri Jokiharju
#27 Hampus Lindholm – #26 Andrew Peeke
#6 Mason Lohrei – #45 Jonathan Aspirot
Goaltenders
Starter: #1 Jeremy Swayman
#70 Joonas Korpisalo
Injured/Out: Elias Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy, John Beecher, Casey Mittelstadt, Jordan Harris
