Toronto Maple Leafs (16-8-2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (11-13-4)
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When: Saturday, 7 p.m., PPG Paints Arena
TV: Sportsnet, CBC Radio: TSN 1050
Odds: Maple Leafs -149, Penguins +121
The buzz
After the Maple Leafs lost to the Washington Capitals on Friday night and the Penguins lost on the road against the New York Rangers, the teams will clash for the second time in 2024-25. Toronto won 4-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 12 … Both the Leafs and Penguins have been successful in the second game of back-to-back sets. Toronto is 3-1-1 and Pittsburgh is 4-2-0 … Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby on Friday became the 72nd player in NHL history to play in 1,300 career games … Crosby, with 1,022 career assists, is one assist shy of tying Gordie Howe for fifth-most in NHL history with one team. Ray Bourque holds the NHL record, recording 1,111 assists with the Boston Bruins … Pittsburgh managed to win four in a row before losing to the Rangers, but still have an NHL-worst minus-29 goal differential … As much as the Leafs generally have been impressive, they haven’t been super on the road, going 4-4-2 in 10 games. The Penguins are 7-6-2 at home … Count on some lineup changes for the Leafs after a below-average effort against the Capitals. Forward Max Pacioretty is eligible to come off longterm injured reserve on Saturday and would be line to play for the first time since Nov. 9, when he suffered a lower-body injury against Montreal … Leafs coach Craig Berube wasn’t thrilled with the play of Nick Robertson versus Washington. “I didn’t think he had much going on,” Berube said. In the third period, Robertson and Nikita Grebenkin each had two shifts. Ryan Reaves had three … Berube on what he expects from the Penguins: “They’re going to play hard. That’s a team that’s desperate, looking for wins. It’s going to be a hard battle, for sure.”
The quote
“All of it. He’s the guy in Canada, right? So you watch him all the time. He does it all. There’s no shortcuts in his game, and he’s pretty elite at every aspect of it. The complete total package in all regards.”
— Leafs rookie Fraser Minten, who will play against Crosby for the first time, on how much he watched the Penguins legend during childhood.
The poll
With Max Domi and Max Pacioretty close to returning from injury, which two Leafs forwards would you scratch?
The projected Leafs lineup
Forwards
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg — John Tavares — William Nylander
Nick Robertson — Fraser Minten — Steven Lorentz
Nikita Grebenkin — Connor Dewar — Ryan Reaves
Defence
Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly — Philippe Myers
Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins
Goal
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
The injuries
PIT: None.
TOR: F Max Pacioretty (lower body), F Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), D Dakota Mermis (jaw), D Jani Hakanpaa (knee), C David Kampf (lower body), LW Bobby McMann (lower body), C Max Domi (lower body), D Jake McCabe (head).
The prediction
Neither team had to travel far late on Friday night to get to Pittsburgh. Give the edge to the better team, the Leafs. 5-2.