After defeating the Montreal Canadiens to open their season, the Leafs have set their sights on the Minnesota Wild for their first game that will be covered on HNIC.
They were rushing these lines which gives us an idea of what they will roll with:
While the Leafs did not have the best game versus the Canadiens, they still escaped with a win and a crucial two points to start the season.
While the Leafs are among the top teams favorited to win the Stanley Cup, the Wild are solid dark horse choices having a mix of young and old talent.
They are without their captain Jared Spurgeon but have youngsters Brock Faber and Calen Addison in to help out the blue line.
They also have one of the most electrifying forwards in all of hockey in Kirill Kaprizov. Aside from their top line, they have 2021 9th overall draft pick Marco Rossi starting to make an impact after nearly dying from COVID.
They have Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury in net and either one is a more than competent goaltender with Gustavsson posting a 41-save shutout in the opening game and Fleury being a future hall of famer.
This game will be a battle between two perceived playoff teams and while the Leafs may be the favorite, they will need to step things up after their play versus the Canadiens to secure a victory.
POLL | ||
Who will win tomorrow's game? | ||
The Maple Leafs | 323 | 87.3 % |
The Wild | 47 | 12.7 % |
List of polls |