The Detroit Red Wings play their 3rd game of the season against the 21-12-and-2 Toronto Maple Leafs tonight (7 PM EST start on FanDuel Sportsnet Detroit/TVA Sports/Sportsnet Ontario/97.1 FM), and Todd McLellan’s first game as the Red Wings’ new head coach is not going to be an easy task.
The Leafs have lost two straight games, dropping a 6-3 decision to the New York Islanders and then a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets just before the holiday break, but they did so without the services of captain Auston Matthews or goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who are both nursing injuries.
NHL.com describes tonight’s match-up thusly…
Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, SNO, TVAS)
Todd McLellan will make his debut as coach of the Red Wings (13-17-4) when they host the Maple Leafs (21-12-2) at Little Caesars Arena. The 57-year-old, who replaced Derek Lalonde on Thursday, was an assistant coach with the Red Wings from 2005-08, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2008. Detroit, which has not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2016, has lost three straight (outscored 13-4). The Maple Leafs assigned goaltender Dennis Hildeby to the American Hockey League on Thursday and recalled Matt Murray, who won his first NHL game in almost two years by making 24 saves in a 6-3 victory against the Buffalo Sabres last Friday. The big question looming over Toronto, however, will be the availability of captain Auston Matthews, who has missed the past two games — both losses — with an upper-body injury.
Field Level Media posted a Wings-Leafs write-up…
Toronto had a couple of stumbles prior to their break following a three-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs lost to the New York Islanders 6-3 on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Monday. Toronto gave up three third-period goals against the Jets, all from Mark Scheifele.
Toronto is still just two points behind Florida for first place in the Atlantic Division.
“I think the team overall has played some real good hockey, done a lot of good things,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “Made a lot of strides in the right direction and we will again. These last few games, we’ve slipped.”
Getting high-scoring forward Auston Matthews back in the lineup would be a boost but it’s uncertain when that will happen. Matthews has missed the last two games due to an upper body injury.
Overall, Matthews hasn’t suited up in 11 games this season, while Toronto has gone 7-4 in those contests.
John Tavares scored both of Toronto’s goals on Monday and has notched five goals and six assists in his last seven games. Mitch Marner has at least one assist in the last six games.
MLive’s Ansar Khan also posted a game preview…
The Red Wings are in desperate need of a spark, having lost three in a row in regulation for the first time this season. They’re coming off ugly losses at Montreal (5-1) and home vs. St. Louis (4-0) Monday, when they were booed off the ice.
Top-four defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Ben Chiarot are listed as questionable due to upper-body injuries.
The Leafs have lost back-to-back games, allowing 11 goals with Joseph Woll in net in place of Anthony Stolarz, who’s on injured reserve (knee). Superstar Auston Matthews has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury and is questionable.
These teams have split two games, each winning at home. The Red Wings prevailed 4-2 on Dec. 14 in their most recent meeting.
And here are tonight’s game notes:
