Reinforcements have arrived as a desperate Maple Leafs team looks to avoid a season-series sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets (7:00 p.m. EST, Sportsnet/Sportsnet 360).
Game Day Quotes
Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason on the season series against the Leafs:
They’ve been really good games. The one was a little lopsided here because they played the night before, and I think that factored into it. Clearly, it was a great hockey game in Toronto.
They have special players. We play very similar. We are looking forward to another challenge here.
It is kind of rare to see a team three times right away, but it will be a fun game.
Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle on the final game of the Leafs vs. Blue Jackets season series:
We’ve played these guys pretty well as of late. We are looking to do that again, but they know that, too. They are going to come in and be ready to go. We have to be ready to match their intensity.
Our focus on the way we started has been pretty apparent against them. It seems like we get right to our game. We know we have to do that. They’re a solid team and have been for years. There is a lot of firepower and guys who are skilled but work. You have to play a man’s game against them if you want to come out with a win.
Craig Berube on the importance of tonight’s game:
It is a big game, for sure. It is great to get the guys (Matthews, Knies, and Roy) back, but it doesn’t change everything, right? We need to play better. We need everybody to play better.
It is a big game. It’s the start of a road trip and could start us off on the right foot here. But let’s focus on the process of how we have to get that done.
Berube on the challenge presented by the Blue Jackets, who have had the Leafs‘ number:
They have some good offense over there, obviously. Fantilli has his way with us, it seems like, in every game that we play against him. He is a hell of a player. They have some high-end, young players who are good players.
I thought we played a pretty good, solid hockey game against them last time. Even in Columbus, the goals we gave them were self-inflicted. I thought we had some really good things going on against them.
But they are a challenge. Obviously, on the backend, they have Weresnki, and their goalie is playing well right now. It is going to be a tough game — like all of them.
Auston Matthews on his return to the lineup:
It is exciting. This is a great opportunity for us on the road with six games or so to really come together as a group, find our game, and find our rhythm, starting tonight.
This is a team that has been really good against us. They’re good at home. They’ve been playing some good hockey. We just want to come out and play the right way. We don’t need to do anything special; just play hard, compete, communicate, and take it one step at a time.
I am definitely excited to get back in there.
Matthew Knies on returning at a time when the team is struggling and really needs the help:
I feel great. I feel a lot better. Just excited to be back. It sucks watching. You want to be out there and help the guys.
Every one of us who has been out has been itching to get back and help out. I am glad that I can come in healthy and make an impact to hopefully help us win.
Evason on the expectations for Stoney Creek, Ontario native Luca Pinnelli in his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets:
A lot of energy. He has an offensive side to him. He competes his ass off.
I talked to Trent (Vogelhuber) yesterday about his game, and there are some things they’ve been working on as far as what coaches often work on when players arrive in pro hockey for the first time. It is mainly learning how to manage pucks, compete, get pucks out, and get pucks in.
What they’ve really liked about him is his energy level and compete. That is what we are looking to see here tonight.
Maple Leafs (9-10-3) vs. Blue Jackets (11-9-3): Head-to-Head Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies – #34 Auston Matthews – #11 Max Domi
#53 Easton Cowan – #91 John Tavares – #88 William Nylander
#89 Nick Robertson – #55 Nicolas Roy – #74 Bobby McMann
#18 Steven Lorentz – #24 Scott Laughton – #19 Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly – #95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson
#2 Simon Benoit – #22 Jake McCabe
#36 Dakota Mermis – #28 Troy Stecher
Goaltenders
Starter: #60 Joseph Woll
#35 Dennis Hildeby
Extras: Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Philippe Myers
Injured: Brandon Carlo (IR), Anthony Stolarz (IR), Chris Tanev (LTIR)
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lines
Forwards
#10 Dmitri Voronskov – #19 Adam Fantilli – #59 Yegor Chinakhov
#11 Miles Wood – #23 Sean Monahan – #91 Kent Johnson
#27 Zach Aston-Reese – #3 Charlie Coyle – #4 Cole Sillinger
#53 Luca Pinnelli – #16 Brendan Gaunce – #21 Isac Lundestrom
Defensemen
#8 Zach Werenski – #9 Ivan Provorov
#5 Denton Mateychuk – #78 Damon Severson
#7 Brendan Smith – #15 Dante Fabbro
Goaltenders
Starter: #73 Jet Greaves
#90 Elvis Merzlikins
Injured/Out: Kirill Marchenko, Mathieu Olivier, Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson
