Toronto Maple Leafs fans should look forward to a good game against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. The Maple Leafs are the home team, and they will try to replicate their road success. For some reason, the team has become warriors on the road but not so much at home. If they could match their impressive 20-7-6 record away from home, they would be sitting easier in the standings.
Yet, the team’s less consistent 18-12-2 record playing at home is more than interesting. Could it be good that they’ll likely play the Boston Bruins in the postseason starting in Boston? That’s the way it looks at the moment.
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Can the team also carry over its dominating win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night? In Philadelphia, the team saw good efforts throughout the lineup. Auston Matthews scored his 55th of the season, and Tyler Bertuzzi had a strong game. Fans should look for Bertuzzi and Matthews to partner on the first line again tonight.
The Hurricanes enter the game surfing a wave of momentum after winning four of their last five games. In their last game, they threw a convincing 4-0 shutout against the Florida Panthers, with none other than former Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen winning. After returning from a blood-clotting issue, it was his first shutout of the season. Newcomers to the Canes lineup – Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel – also played well for Carolina.
The last time the two teams played, Carolina beat Toronto at Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 30.
Item One: Ilya Lyubushkin Might Not Play Tonight
Ilya Lyubushkin might not go in tonight’s game against the Hurricanes. He missed practice on Friday after suffering an injury during Thursday’s game against the Flyers. His status will depend on how he responds during today’s morning skate.
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Lyubushkin has registered two assists in six games with the Maple Leafs this season after totaling only four assists in 55 games with the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the season. He’s been a warrior for the team. I can’t imagine the Maple Leafs not trying hard to re-sign him for a longer term during the offseason. He does the little things right and has that Chris Tanev mentality of never quitting, but he’s cheaper. He just seems to fit into this lineup.
Item Two: Calle Jarnkrok Has Another Hand Injury
Of all things, Calle Jarnkrok is facing another setback due to a hand injury. The report is that, with this one, he is expected to be sidelined week-to-week. It has not been an easy season for Jarnkrok. He recently returned to play after missing 13 games with his previous hand injury.
When he played, Jarnkrok wasn’t as productive as he had been at the start of the season. Since Jan. 6, he’s been stuck in a 15-game goal-scoring drought and has put up only two assists and 20 shots in those games. Fans should look for Pontus Holmberg to once again step into a more prominent role in the lineup, especially in Mitch Marner’s absence due to a high-ankle injury.
Item Three: Pontus Holmberg Has Now Matched His Last Season Numbers
Marner remains sidelined. While he’s skating, he won’t be playing. Tonight, he will miss his third straight game. Holmberg will see bigger minutes in the top-six forward group in Marner’s absence.
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Interestingly, Holmberg has almost exactly matched his 2022-23 NHL season with the Maple Leafs. Last season, he played 37 games, scoring five goals and adding eight assists for 13 points with a plus/minus rating of plus-18. In his 2023-24 NHL season, he’s also played 37 games and has registered the exact total of 13 points. However, this season, he scored four goals and added nine assists with a plus/minus rating of plus-14.
In the Maple Leafs’ 6-2 victory over the Flyers, he had a strong game with a goal and an assist. Holmberg has shown flashes of offensive potential and playmaking ability. His high plus/minus rating suggests he’s far from a liability when on the ice.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
If he registers a point tonight, William Nylander could match his career-high set last season. He’s now just one point away from the 86-point total he achieved in the 2022-23 season. Additionally, his 85 points this season are his third straight season with 80 or more points in the NHL.
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With his great start on the season, is there a chance he could hit the century mark in points soon? It’s not out of the question. A mere point a game over the rest of the season would put him a few points over.
