Game #6: Toronto Maple Leafs (2-2-0) at Tampa Bay Lightning (2-2-1)
Time: 7:00 PM EST
Location: Amalie Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: BSSUN, ESPN+, CBC, SNO
Opponent’s Site: Bay Street Blues
Preview
The Lightning meet the Leafs for the first time this season following last spring’s playoffs. Both teams have changed over the summer, revamping their depth in significant ways. Justin has an article on what the Lightning’s newcomers have been doing so far this season. I’ll say overall they’ve been pretty good. It’s a shame for de Haan who’s currently managing an injury at the moment. You’ll see below he had to miss practice yesterday for maintanence.
The Leafs, on the other hand, have had trouble with their summer signings, Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, Max Domi, and Ryan Reaves. Bertuzzi is also battling an injury, Klingberg has been getting caved in outside the power play and fallen to the third pair, Domi has been invisible, and Reaves has to no one’s surprise been playing eight minutes a night of quite bad hockey.
What’s benefitting the Leafs at the moment is their core players are performing. Auston Matthews started the season with back-to-back hat tricks, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares are all producing as well. As it always is against the Leafs, shutting them down will be the key to getting the win tonight.
Looking at the lines, the Leafs might not play their 19-year-old rookie, Fraser Minten (2022 2nd round pick), who earned a job in training camp. He’s likely to go back to the WHL after his nine games.
We’ll see if Haydn Fleury or Zach Bogosian draw into the lineup for the Lightning if de Haan isn’t able to play tonight. As I mentioned above, he missed practice and Watson skated in his spot in the lineup. Because they used a forward placeholder rather than have Bogo or Flower practice alongside Perbix makes me think he’s planning to play.
Stats Matchup
| Game #6 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Overall Record | 2-2-1 | 2-2-0 |
| Home Record | 2-0-0 | 1-1-0 |
| Road Record | 0-2-1 | 1-1-0 |
| Goals For | 17 | 14 |
| Goals Against | 20 | 16 |
| xGF | 15.8 | 14.7 |
| xGA | 16.9 | 11.2 |
| Power Play | 31% | 33% |
| Penalty Kill | 91% | 85% |
Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines
Forwards
Alex Barré-Boulet – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Steven Stamkos – Anthony Cirelli – Brandon Hagel
Tanner Jeannot – Nick Paul – Waltteri Merelä
Conor Sheary – Luke Glendening – Michael Eyssimont
Defenders
Victor Hedman – Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Calvin de Haan – Nick Perbix
Goalies
Jonas Johansson – confirmed starter
Matt Tomkins
Scratches
Austin Watson, Haydn Fleury, Zach Bogosian
Lines courtesy of Gabby Shirley
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Matthew Knies – John Tavares – William Nylander
Max Domi – David Kämpf – Calle Järnkrok
Noah Gregor – Pontus Holmberg – Ryan Reaves
Defenders
Morgan Rielly- TJ Brodie
Jake McCabe – Timothy Liljegren
Mark Giordano – John Klingberg
Goalies
Ilya Samsonov – projected starter
Joseph Woll
Scratches
Fraser Minten
Lines courtesy of Mark Masters
Who do you think will win tonight? Who will impress? I won’t ask if you think there will be a fight because I’m pretty sure Reaves is going to want to drop the gloves on a Saturday night.
