Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game 25 Preview: Lineups, Goaltenders, & Best Bets

25. And I don’t even know if you can call this must-win anymore. Is it a must-win? I mean, last night against the Washington Capitals, that was what we had deemed going into it a must-win. And then you find a way to go from up to nothing in that one to kick off the weekend and try to spark some type of momentum coming off the overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets and find a way to close that one out. in again yet another game that you don’t deserve to win, but Joseph Wall’s keeping you in it. He’s given you a chance. You found a way to take a two nothing lead, and you blow it. And you blow it in the way that you’ve lost all the other games so far through the first 23 leading into last night’s game 24 of the season. It’s just been the same repetitive pattern over and over and over and over again. And at this point, I think that’s just who they are. They’re not a good team. They’re not. Whether it comes down to the coaching, the guys that were brought in, the character of the guys who were here, I I don’t think it matters anymore. I think that ultimately they’re just not a good team. So, win lose tonight against Pittsburgh, does that really tell you anything? I don’t know. And to be honest with you, even if they come out and they win this game tonight, the way that they should be playing, the way that we all look and say, you want to execute, you want to do the little things, you want to play hard, you want to be hard in on the for check, you want to win battles, you want to see if you can start to build momentum by getting pucks in, recovering pucks, and then maintaining pressure in the offensive zone, and then also cleaning things up in the breakout, cleaning things up in the defensive zone. Even if they check every single one of those boxes tonight, I’m not going to necessarily have faith in these guys. Like, I’m not going to look at them and be like, “Yep, they’ve figured it out. They’ve got it. We could trust them now. They’re a team that you should bu you should get behind. They’re a team that you should start loading up and add pieces to and Brad Living should be out there.” Like I I know it’s a pessimistic view and I apologize for the people who still want to believe in these guys, but you know it feels like this is a culmination of what has come and been coming for these guys over the past nine season now nine seasons now into year 10 with them. And then you just throw in on top of that, it’s just been an exaggerated version of all of that through 24 games to open this season. And you’re going to go into 25 here tonight against a Penguins team who is good enough. And I don’t mean to disparrage Pittsburgh, but they’re not supposed to be a good team, right? When we looked at every team coming into this season, the general discussion and general idea about every team you were going to play this year was everybody feels they could be competitive except for Pittsburgh. And yet here you are 20 plus games at American Thanksgiving into the season and you’re looking at the Penguins and being like they’re a feisty tough team. Anybody in the East at this point could make the playoffs. Uh it’s just a matter of who can kind of piece it together for 82, who can kind of build that consistency. And when you look at Pittsburgh, it’s like they’re going to be a tough out every single night between Sydney Crosby, Aenny Malcin, Chris Latang, uh Eric Carlson, you know that you’re going to get something competitive out of them. And then you throw in the guys that they have in the in that are coming up through their system who are the younger pieces of this team. Guys they want here in the future. Guys they want to be a part of this program for a long time who have found their way up to be a part of this roster. They’re guys who are hungry and they show up every single night. And you know what? Unfortunately, when you look over at the Leaf side, I rattled off Crosby, uh, Latang, Carlson, Malcin, and the compete that these guys bring and the consistency. You know, I’m not obviously comparing these guys and saying that they’re the same when it comes to how good they are, but those are the superstar players of those teams, and you know pretty much every night what you’re going to get out of them. You know that they’re going to compete. you know that they’ll at least drag you into the fight to a certain degree and you just don’t know that with the Maple Leafs. You don’t know that with the star players that they have on this team. A lot of times it actually feels like you have to beg for them to do that. And then sometimes they do and then you go, “Holy [ __ ] where was that?” And then they take it off for the next 5 6 7 8 9 10 [ __ ] games. At this point, it’s unreal to watch these guys time in and time out just decide when they do and don’t want to turn it on. And if they just showed up every night, we’re probably in a very different situation than we are right now 24 games into the season. But for this game preview, we’re going to dig into what we’ve got for line combinations tonight, as well as our best bet. Um, obviously with the travel and playing last night against Washington in Washington, going to Pittsburgh here today, you’re probably not going to find out too much news. There’s really like one or two pieces that I’m kind of looking for at this point to find out uh and see if we can figure out what’s going to happen. And unfortunately, there’s not much news at all that’s coming out about these guys. So, we’re kind of playing what is a little bit of a guessing game at this point. We’ll do our best here on the pregame show to give you the most accurate information that we could at this point and see if we can maybe piece together something and some type of news or or outlook of what this roster could look like here tonight. Uh but obviously the first and foremost is that we don’t know if William Knander is going to play. Uh sick last night was not able to play in that game and it sounds like by all accounts he wanted to play. Maybe there was a decision made by the coaching staff, the medical staff that he wasn’t going to go. In which case, uh, if he gets hydrated, fuels up here today, maybe he’s going to be good to go for this game. But, um, I don’t know. It almost feels unlikely at this point. And when you look at where they’re at in the season, when we talk about must win and uh, and these guys coming back for these games that matter. I mean, obviously, William Knander is a competitor and he wants to play, but if it’s a team decision, I I don’t know that they’re going to force him into this one on the second night of a backto-back and risk having every single other person on this team get sick because of it and then be hindered for the next little while. So, that one we don’t know. I feel like if it’s up up to Willie, he’s playing, but other than that, we’re not really sure. But, let’s get on over to daily faceoff here uh and see what we’ve got for a line combination. Starting first and foremost with foremost with your first line tonight, N Matthews, Robertson. Um I thought they were fine last night. Nothing special. Fine. Uh they could be a lot better here tonight. Nick Robertson still kind of waiting for him to get back to where he was like four games ago before he got absolutely tanked on the line with McMahon and Doi where it just seemed to kind of absolutely fall off when he started playing with those guys. And then we’re in scratch and score territory with him. Like that’s the type of play we’ve gotten from him lately. And I have confidence that it can come back. I have confidence that it will come back, but it might be a seat in the press box before we can get to that point for him. Uh Eastston Cowan, John Diverus, Bobby McMahon is your second line. Look, Rosie had some choice words for the guys who are your secondary tertiary pieces on this team. Bobby McMahon was a guy who was thrown into that mix by Rosie and I agree with him completely. Bobby has effectively been a warm body for this team over the last little while. You know, when he first came up, it was like, here’s a guy who’s got some spark. He can bring some offensive ability. He’s physical. He plays uh with energy and effort, and that’s kind of all gone to [ __ ] over the last little while. Like, I I’m It’s unfortunate because I like Bobby McMahon. I’m a Bobby McMahon fan, but the way he’s played hasn’t been very inspiring for the last little while. So, he needs to find that uh cuz he had it last year basically from the point where Craig Breub scratched him on opening night when he came back into this lineup all the way until about February where all of a sudden it started to disappear and then he was just an absolute ghost in the playoffs. And and obviously you’re talking about extra pieces on this team. So, it’s not like you’re talking about guys who you’re expecting to just like step up and like be your saviors here. But I mean, Bobby is a guy that should be bringing you a whole lot more on a nightly basis. And right now, he’s just not providing enough, unfortunately. Uh, if Knander does come back, obviously, that’s where I expect him to slot. And if he’s put into that spot, I think it helps the team out tremendously. Down to what you have for your third and fourth lines right now. Matias Machelli, Nick Wad, Dakota Joshua, uh, Steven Loren, Scott Lot, and Kelly Yarn Croak. Let’s go to what you have for your fourth line. First and foremost, Lorent Lton, Yarncroak. No issues with these guys. Unfortunate for Scott Lton, he’s just not being able to find the back of the net right now, but uh Lots I feel like is a guy who’s bringing it. I I like what he brings to the energy, the intensity. Um I like just his impact on the game overall. The main issue when it comes to him, uh especially over the last little bit, is that it feels like he’s gripping his stick too tight and just can’t find a way to bury or or contribute offensively. So, if Lton can find a way to start to do that, that bottom six could start to look a little bit more effective. And Lton, in particular, will start to look a lot more effective. Uh, Lorent and Yarn Croak, no real issues there. Yarn Croak, you know what you’re getting out of him. I know people bang their heads against the wall over and over and over again when it comes to Yarn Croak and want him to give you more, but unfortunately, he’s just a fourthline guy who’s not paid that much money. And so, reality is he’s just not going to score that much. He’s not going to produce that much. you can kind of just ask him to be reliable, provide you with uh the same thing every single night and and just be consistent. And that’s kind of what he’s been. Um you still do want more offensive production out of that guy, especially if he’s going to be making any chunk of change more than like a million dollars, which is the case at this point. Uh, Lorent obviously just a reliable energy guy in your bottom and no real issues with him, but it’s the guys above them that I’m really looking at at this point and demanding a lot more from Matias Machelli, Nick Wad, Dakota Joshua. That line, these three guys were brought here in the summer. And I’m sorry to say, but it’s been [ __ ] atrocious. Like the decisions made by Brad Tree Living to bring those guys in. Nick Wah has been better of late. like he’s found a way to elevate his game and start to find a footing, which is a positive sign. Just the fact that he’s looking a little bit more comfortable. The injury was a hindering factor. The fact that he had to come out of this uh lineup for a few games feels like it just kind of jammed him up a little bit and you lost it. But like still not good enough. And I don’t know if this is a misusage. I don’t know if they just misinterpreted what type of player he is and who he was going to be, but Nick Wah just has to elevate. Uh Dakota Joshua, Matias Machelli, like you could put [ __ ] me out there and and I could be as effective as these guys right now. Like Dakota Joshua, zero physicality, zero offensive ability. He’s not winning battles. He’s not winning races. He’s not getting the pucks out pucks out of the zone. He’s not in hard on the forche. like he is just a guy on the ice right now. He’s just a guy as Rosie said, warm body. Uh Matias Machelli, we know he’s got offensive upside. He doesn’t bring too much else to the game. And then a lot of times we’re watching this guy if he’s not producing offensively, it can just be a nightmare where he’s trying [ __ ] that he just is doesn’t have the ability to do. Like when that’s the case, if you start doing that, you just become a net negative because you’re just kind of a guy on the ice. you don’t bring any of the other elements that they want from uh the bottom six, which would include the physicality, the heaviness, being hard to play against, making it like the other team is skating through mud, and he’s just got no offensive upside. Like like the the offensive upside is marginal. It’s marginal with a guy like Matias Machelli, and he’s just not bringing it. So, what is he doing? Like, what is the purpose of having that guy out there? Uh the bottom six has just been um for the most part a nightmare. I think getting lot back has really drastically helped the fourth line. I know that there’s people who watch this channel, watch the show who are saying, “You’re a [ __ ] idiot and continue to come to the postgame show and lose their minds when I talk about these guys or talk about Lton in particular.” But I’m a Scott Lton believer. I’m a Scott Lton truther. Whether you like it or not, I I I am. I I think Scott Lton brings intangibles. Um and I think that Scott Lton is a guy who if he’s on he can be very effective for your group and I mean like what this team needs right now. Scott Lton I think can provide a lot of that. Hence why they went and got him. Now mind you I do agree that it was a uh overpay but I think that the player is the right fit. Let’s now get to our best bet presented by bet365. Whatever your bet is, it’s never ordinary at bet365. Uh, use code nation. N A T I O N. That’s code nation at bet365. Must be 19 or older, Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit connects ontario.ca. Let’s now get to our best bet for today. Jumping on over to bet 365. First, first of all, taking a look at what we have for the lines for tonight’s game. – 110 either side. Penguins and Maple Leafs both – 110. Total of six in this one. – 115 – 105 to the under. – 115 to the over there. Um, honestly, if I was looking anyway, it would be to the over. The Leafs can’t defend for [ __ ] Uh, goalending has been great when Joseph Wall is playing. Sounds like Hillbe will play tonight. So, are you going to get goalending? I don’t know. I don’t I wouldn’t bank on it. Uh, going to your player props. This is where we’re going to have tonight’s best bet. Obviously, last night we lost. We had Dakota Joshua. Um, anytime goal plus 900 was the best bet for last night’s game. Um, it was a small bet. The other one we had was Knander over two and a half shots on goal. He ends up not playing in last night’s game, so that one ends up going void, but we lose the uh the $10 bet on the Dakota Joshua anytime goal in that one. Uh, tonight’s best bet is John Tiveres anytime goal plus 180 at half unit on that. So, $50 there will profit you 90 for a John Tiveres anytime goal. Look, JT’s been pretty much the most reliable player on this roster, night in and night out since the beginning of this season. If there’s anybody I feel like I can trust to go out there and show up and battle and put up some points and contribute offensively, it’s John Diverus. And it doesn’t matter who he plays with. Knander, McMahon, uh, [ __ ] Max Doy, I don’t know. I don’t care. But honestly, at this point, it feels like he’s one of the only guys that you could trust and rely upon to get things done. So, Johnny T anytime goal is our best bet tonight. Uh, we are down on the season. Unfortunately, it’s not been the prettiest. Down 1.15 units, a 1026-1 record. the the the problem really at this point has just been this team has been so bad that like there’s it’s hard to bet on anything with them right now. So hopefully this can turn around here tonight um with the best bet win and uh Johnny T anytime goal is where I’m going for that. That’s all for today’s pregame video. If you like this one, make sure to hit that like button, subscribe here to the channel, Leaf Station 401 right here on YouTube. We’ll be breaking everything down whether it’s pregame videos, Nick Albera, Jay Rose Hill, Leaf’s Morning Take Monday to Friday 11:00 a.m. Eastern time with special guests breaking everything down from the night before the weekend that was the games coming up and then myself with game previews, best bets, lineups, and postgame show for Leaf Nation After Dark right here on this channel. Hit that like button, subscribe here to the channel. We appreciate all the support. And let me know in the comments below, are they winning, losing? What’s your best bet for tonight’s game? Thanks for watching. See you tonight. Till then, keep beliefing. For more content just like this, including game previews, postgame live shows, Leaf’s Morning Take Monday through Friday with Nick Albera and Jay Rose Hill with special guests, as well as instant reaction videos. Make sure to be subscribed here to the Leaf Station YouTube channel. Turn on notifications so you don’t miss anything and drop a like.

Game 25 has the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into a tricky showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that’s been wildly inconsistent but still dangerous every single night. As Toronto continues scraping for ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race, Zack breaks down the latest lineup decisions — from how the top six looks with Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, John Tavares, Nic Robertson and Easton Cowan, to whether Max Domi or Dakota Joshua might be rotating in and out as Sheldon Keefe searches for stability.

We dig into what the bottom six could look like with Calle Järnkrok, Scott Laughton, and Matias Maccelli still fighting for defined roles, plus how the blue line pairs out with Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson logging heavy minutes, Jake McCabe settling in next to Simon Benoit, and where Timothy Liljegren fits. From the Leafs’ power play drought to Pittsburgh’s aggressive forecheck, it’s a full preview of what Toronto must clean up to come out on top.

And as always, we wrap with two best bets for tonight’s matchup — presented by bet365 — including one player prop and one game line that stand out heading into puck drop.

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