The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their busy week on Thursday as they host the St. Louis Blues, making it their third game in four nights. Despite the season being only seven games old, there’s lots to play for considering the disaster of a game they played in Columbus just a few nights ago. The Blues also fired the Leafs’ new coach in December of last year. Both teams have started the season 4-3 and look to build on strong starts. The puck drops at 7:00 pm EST.
Toronto Maple Leafs Look To Bounce Back Tonight
Before Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs were 4-2 on the season and already looked to be a much more impressive team than the Toronto Maple Leafs of recent memory. The defense was solid, they were getting saves every night, the penalty kill had been phenomenal, and the style of play was heavier and more urgent. Enter Tuesday night in Columbus where they looked slow, and the goaltender didn’t mask defensive issues that had maybe been there all along.
It’s a long season, and there are reasons to be both concerned and optimistic at the same time. One thing is for sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs will give full effort on Thursday night to redeem their last performance and put it far out of memory. “A good one, for sure,” captain Auston Matthews said after being asked what response he expected on Thursday. “You’ve got St. Louis coming in, Chief (Berube) used to coach there. We just got our butts handed to us a little bit. It’s a busy week for us. There’s no time to sulk over this, you learn from it and move on.”
Key Adjustment For Thursday
One of the many noticeable changes Berube has implemented is putting both Matthews and Marner on the powerplay at the same time. Marner has killed penalties for years, but Matthews was always kept off the PK unit. One reason is that when the penalty is over, you have a fresh Auston Matthews ready to go. While that makes sense, not having your best player off the ice for 6-10 minutes a night in two minute stretches doesn’t seem too beneficial. Turns out, adding him to the PK has resulted in dramatic improvement through seven games.
The penalty kill was a big issue for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, finishing their 82nd game at 76.9%, which was 23rd in the NHL. So far in this young season, the Leafs are clocking in at 86.7% which is fifth. The problem is they’ve taken 33 penalties so far, which is 4.7 penalties per game. That’s high, and it needs to change fast, no matter how good their PK is. Last year they averaged 3.8 per game. Still quite a bit, but better than this year’s number.
Woll To Start Thursday
Craig Berube announced on Thursday that Joe Woll will start for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Blues. Woll was projected to be the opening night starter until being put on the IR on the eve of the season and hasn’t started yet this year. With how Stolarz has played, and considering he hasn’t played since Monday and their next game is Saturday, should Woll be starting this game? Woll is younger and more expensive, which are a few reasons why he was thought to be the main guy before the season started. The truth is, Anthony Stolarz has played out of his mind, and has given the Leafs zero reasons to lessen his starts.
Through five games, Stolarz has a 3-2 record with a goals-against average of 1.83 and a .938 save percentage, both of which are top 10 in the league. The concern about Stolarz is the fact that he has never started more than 27 games in a season. That may be true, but he was going to start more than 27 games regardless of Woll’s health. Not to mention the fact that Woll has only played 36 games in his entire career and always winds up being hurt. Woll is going to start, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have three games in the next five nights.
Final Thoughts
The Toronto Maple Leafs had the day off on Wednesday so we haven’t seen what the lines look like in practice yet. Max Pacioretty suffered an injury on Tuesday and will miss at least Thursday’s game. David Kampf was a healthy scratch in Columbus and will more than likely slide into the lineup in his place.
For More Great Content
Craving top-tier content that covers it all? From electrifying sports highlights and insider entertainment news to expert gaming tips and sharp betting advice, we’ve got you covered. Dive into our curated articles to stay ahead of the game with the latest sports action, uncover the hottest trends in entertainment, and get the lowdown on gaming strategies that could level up your play. Plus, our betting advice will sharpen your edge and boost your chances of winning big. Whether you’re looking to stay updated or gain a competitive edge, our content is your go-to source for all things exciting and relevant. Don’t miss out; explore now and power up your knowledge! Follow us on Twitter/X @TotalApexSports to stay informed.
