Toronto Maple Leafs (6-4-1) at St. Louis Blues (5-6-0)
When:
Saturday, 7 p.m., Enterprise Center
TV: CBC, Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590
Odds: Maple Leafs: -185 Blues: +150
The Buzz:
It’s the March to the Arch, with Toronto coach Craig Berube returning to the city where he led the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup and Joseph Woll getting the home-state start he’s dreamed of since being drafted in 2016. But there should be more incentive to the Leafs effort than just wanting to win for Berube and Woll. The team mangled its first chance to do the duo proud last week at home as the Blues bombed them 5-1 … St. Louis needs this one, too, losing all three games on the road trip after topping Toronto … While Jordan Binnington had a great game against the Leafs a week ago Thursday, his save percentage is below .900.
The Quote:
“I have a lot of special memories there, a lot of people I became really close with.” Berube on going back.
The Poll:
How would you fix the Leafs’ 3-for-34 power play?
a) Keep rotating in new personnel, such as Matthew Knies.
b) Get more net-front presence.
c) Let Berube or another assistant coach take a direct role.
d) Leave it be, it will come around.
The lineup:
Forwards
Matthew Knies / Auston Matthews / Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty / John Tavares / William Nylander
Bobby McMann / Max Domi / Pontus Holmberg or Nick Robertson
Steven Lorentz / David Kampf / Ryan Reaves
Defence
Morgan Rielly / Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jake McCabe / Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit / Conor Timmins
Goalies
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
The injuries:
TOR: D Jani Hakanpaa (knee) and F Connor Dewar (shoulder) have begun conditioning stints with the AHL Marlies. F Calle Jarnkrok (lower body) is on LTIR. STL: D Torey Krug (ankle), D Nick Leddy (lower body), F Robert Thomas (ankle), RW Mathieu Joseph (lower body)
The prediction:
Leafs get it together this time for coach and goalie and 4-2 win.
The vibe:
X: @sunhornby