It’s likely the final home game as a Leaf for several players in this Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. EST, Amazon Prime).
Game Day Quotes
Bobby McMann on what the organization has meant to him, ahead of possibly his final home game as a Leaf:
It is hard to put into words. I am not necessarily trying to speculate on officially leaving, either. I think I want to just battle here. It has been fun my whole career, working my way into the NHL and getting the opportunity. I want to make the most of it and continue to put my best effort forward, no matter the situation here.
McMann on joining a line with Auston Matthews and William Nylander:
Two exceptional players who see the ice well and move the puck well. Get them the puck whenever I can. They can make special plays when they have it. I’ll try to open up space with my speed. Hopefully, they can do their magic.
Scott Laughton on the team’s defensive issues:
We had the lead last game, but it is a little bit too loose coming into our zone. We’re making it easy for their defensemen to go back for pucks. We just have to play a harder game — more physical, wear teams down for a full game, and don’t let them get up in the rush to create 4-on-3s or 4-on-2s. If we do that, we have a good chance, but we have to clean up that area, for sure.
Laughton on the distraction of the trade deadline:
It is hard. We have a veteran team, though. You show up to work every day and put your best foot forward. We are all still here, right?
It is not up to us. It is out of our control. Everyone is in their own situation and has to deal with their own things, but you have to come out on the ice and be a unit together.
It is hard sometimes, but you are in the NHL and in one of the best franchises. It is a very humbling opportunity to play here. It is a special place.
Laughton on the possibility this could be his final home game as a Leaf:
Obviously, I have loved it here. I’ve loved my time. That’s all I can really control. I don’t get into the conversations too much. I’m a Leaf, and that is where I want to be. We’ll see where it goes. But I am focused on getting two points against my former team and trying to get this thing rolling in the right direction.
John Tavares on whether the deadline is weighing on the team:
It is possible. It is no secret what it is and what that can bring. It doesn’t just affect your career but your life as a whole. But there is a responsibility, a job to do, and a great opportunity to not only play in the NHL but play in Toronto and put the Maple Leaf on your chest.
Craig Berube on the response he’s expecting from the team after three ugly losses coming out of the break:
It is going to be a better response, for sure. We scored the first goal (against the Senators), and then Ottawa had the better of the play the whole period. We just couldn’t catch up to them. I expect a lot better tonight from our team.
Berube on the expectations for the Auston Matthews and William Nylander line:
They’re arguably our two best players, right? Go out and control the game. Do what you guys do best. We’ve scored one or two five-on-five goals in the last four games, going back to the Edmonton game. We need some offense, for sure, from those guys, but they have to be responsible defensively, too.
Berube on the decision to healthy scratch Nick Robertson and Troy Stecher:
I have to make decisions on the lineup. I’ve felt Nicky’s game has dropped off even before the break, a little bit, and through the break here. He is going to get a reset today. It is similar for Stecher.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet on Craig Berube:
Well, he is a terrific coach. He is a Stanley Cup winner. When he took over, they were in last place in St. Louis. But his calmness… I know he might not look calm at times, but behind the scenes, he is. Smart guy. Smart at Xs and Os.
Like all coaches, we’re always under the gun. We always have to be ready to tweak certain things. But he is a terrific coach.
Tocchet on coaching former Leaf Nikita Grebenkin:
Phenomenal kid. He wants to learn. He is trying to be an everyday player.
There was a goal against Boston that was kind of his fault, but there are other guys. He came in after the game to ask a question because he was mad at himself. I said, “It’s not totally your fault.”
He is that type of guy. He is a pleasure to coach.
Maple Leafs (27-24-9) vs. Flyers (27-21-11): Head-to-Head Stats
via NaturalStatTrick.com & AdvancedHockeyStats.com
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
#74 Bobby McMann – #34 Auston Matthews – #88 William Nylander
#23 Matthew Knies – #91 John Tavares – #11 Max Domi
#63 Matias Maccelli – #55 Nic Roy – #81 Dakota Joshua
#18 Steven Lorentz – #24 Scott Laughton – #53 Easton Cowan
Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly – #25 Brandon Carlo
#2 Simon Benoit – #22 Jake McCabe
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson – #51 Philippe Myers
Goaltenders
Starter: #41 Anthony Stolarz
#60 Joseph Woll
Extras: Nick Robertson, Troy Stecher, Calle Jarnkrok
Injured: Chris Tanev (LTIR)
Philadelphia Flyers Projected Lines
Forwards
#46 Trevor Zegras – #22 Christian Dvorak – #11 Travis Konecny***
#39 Matvei Michkov – #27 Noah Cates – #10 Bobby Brink
#29 Nikita Grebenkin – #14 Sean Couturier – #74 Owen Tippett
#44 Nicolas Deslauriers – #91 Carl Grundstrom – #19 Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
#6 Travis Sanheim – #55 Rasmus Ristolainen
#8 Cam York – #9 Jamie Drysdale
#36 Emil Andrae – #24 Nick Seeler
Goaltenders
Starter: #80 Dan Vladar
#33 Samuel Ersson
***game-time decision
Injured/Out: Tyson Foerster
