Pre-Game Talk: Tampa @ Toronto - 7:30pm - Amazon

[ACC1224]

tampa bay lightning toronto maple leafs

GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs entertain explosive Lightning on Monday

The Maple Leafs have beaten the Lightning in two previous meetings this season.

torontosun.com

As the Maple Leafs went about dismantling the Montreal Canadiens in the second and third periods on Saturday night in a 7-3 win, the Lightning was beating the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 at home for its third win in four games … Tampa Bay’s ability to put the puck in the net should serve as an intriguing test for the Leafs. The Lightning leads the National Hockey League with an average of 3.66 goals a game and its plus-39 goal differential is the third-best … After going pointless in consecutive games on Jan. 2 and Jan. 4, Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov is on an eight-game scoring streak with 14 points (four goals and 10 assists). Kucherov has feasted on the Leafs in his career, recording 45 points (19 goals and 26 assists) in 36 games. He has more career points against only Ottawa (50 in 36) and Detroit (49 in 37) … Leafs captain Auston Matthews has seven goals in eight games since returning from an upper-body injury, a pace that would result in 72 goals in 82 games. Matthews has 13 goals in 24 career games against the Lightning … Memo to Mitch Marner if the Lightning goes on a power play: Your speed and guile could come in handy, as Tampa has allowed an NHL-high eight shorthanded goals … The Leafs have won the two previous meetings — 5-3 in Tampa on Nov. 30 and 5-2 in Toronto on Oct. 21.

Should be a good test. They need a better start than Saturday, play 3 solid periods.
Assuming Woll keeps the net for the dreaded 7:30 start.

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[Evilhomer]

Might be a lot of goals in this one. Matthews and Marner will have big games.

 

[Orfieus]

I'm excited to see Toronto play a solid 40min game

 

[Macallan18]

I'm excited to see Toronto play a solid 40min game

I'd be satisfied with that for Pete's sake!!!

tampa bay lightning toronto maple leafs

Should be a good test. They need a better start than Saturday, play 3 solid periods.
Assuming Woll keeps the net for the dreaded 7:30 start.

I know! Means I have to stay up to 10.

 

[ACC1224]

I know! Means I have to stay up to 10.

Even later when attending.

 

[Suntouchable13]

They are a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Best goals for in the division. Best goals against. Best goal differential.

 

[ToneDog]

My "Ignore Thread" button looks like you know who in game #7.

They are a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Best goals for in the division. Best goals against. Best goal differential.

Leafs have owned Vasi the last few meetings. The Lightning may need to score 6 or 7 to compensate.

 

[1specter]

Big game, need to keep pace on the division

 

[HogTown06]

Looking forward to this one, hope Matthews keeps the motor running.

And to think that if the season ended today we would have The Battle of Ontario again! That would be exciting.

 

[ToneDog]

Big game, need to keep pace on the division

Might be a bigger game for Tampa (if there is such a thing as a big game in January). Hope both teams show up for the fans paying to watch this one.

 

[Evilhomer]

They are a juggernaut hiding in plain sight. Best goals for in the division. Best goals against. Best goal differential.

They are anything but a juggernaut. They beat bad teams, and often beat them soundly (thus the goal differential), and lose to good teams. They may take second or third in the Atlantic, but they could just as easily be a wild card team. Certainly not a Cup threat anymore. That said, they have done a way better job staying relevant than other "dynasty" teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh.

 

[ToneDog]

They are anything but a juggernaut. They beat bad teams, and often beat them soundly (thus the goal differential), and lose to good teams. They may take second or third in the Atlantic, but they could just as easily be a wild card team. Certainly not a Cup threat anymore. That said, they have done a way better job staying relevant than other "dynasty" teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh.

They are in first if they win tonight and their 3 games in hand.

 

[Evilhomer]

They are in first if they win tonight and their 3 games in hand.

That's some Dekes for Days math right there.

 

[ToneDog]

That's some Dekes for Days math right there.

Got that one wrong. My math is not fiction. LOL.

 

[Evilhomer]

Got that one wrong. My math is not fiction. LOL.

What does the math show if Tampa loses tonight AND loses a couple of its games in hand?

 

[Dekes For Days]

That's some Dekes for Days math right there.

No, that's all ToneDog. I don't predict future games like he did, or assume that the Leafs are going to beat everybody by 15 goals like you do. I just don't ignore losses in the standings. Tampa would move into 2nd in the division if they won tonight. It's important for us to win and maintain the gap over them.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I think it's fine to see what this looks like in a short sample but we're hindering our best overall defenseman by putting him on his off side to get Rielly going

 

[Fogelhund]

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[AcerComputer]

I'm excited to see Toronto play a solid 40min game

 

[ToneDog]

What does the math show if Tampa loses tonight AND loses a couple of its games in hand?

Now who's being a Dekes?

 

[PanniniClaus]

Myers takes a deserved seat.. I thought he was absolutely awful last week and playing next to Rielly is a recipe for disaster.

You could argue though that Timmons is every bit as deserving.

 

[Jacquestrapless]

 

[Fogelhund]

I think it's fine to see what this looks like in a short sample but we're hindering our best overall defenseman by putting him on his off side to get Rielly going

They've played together for 42 minutes so far this year. They've been on the ice for 5 goals for, 1 against... 5v5.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Thank God Myers and Reaves are out. Nice to see Minten in, and hopefully the game off helped Benoit. Let's give this top 4 a real try.

 

[Fogelhund]

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