The Toronto Maple Leafs kick off a road trip ahead of the Christmas break tonight as they travel to Washington, D.C. to face off against the Capitals. After the dramatic ending to their game on Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, when they scored two goals in eight seconds late in the third to win it, tonight’s game needs to be a building block. They have to play with that same desperation and come out strong, rather than needing a late push just to tie and win it.
Related: Maple Leafs Reportedly Exploring Trade Market
This game also has a special feel to it, as it could be the last time the Maple Leafs face the Capitals in Washington with Alex Ovechkin in the lineup. There was speculation last season and into the 2025-26 season that he could call it quits once his contract expires at the end of this season. If that ends up being the case, this would be the final time Toronto sees him in his building. The two teams do play one more time later in the season in Toronto. Regardless, Ovechkin has been a Maple Leafs killer throughout his career, always finding a way to score against them. We’ll see if that trend continues tonight.
Maple Leafs News:
The Maple Leafs received some good news ahead of their game against the Blackhawks with the return of Joseph Woll. Today, they also announced that Marshall Rafai has been sent to the American Hockey League to join the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan. Chris Tanev also participated in practice wearing a regular jersey and is flying with the team to Washington, which suggests there is a good chance he could return to the lineup.
Anthony Stolarz, Austin Matthews, Morgan Rielly, William Nylander (The Hockey Writers)
In other news, a report from The Fourth Period stated that the Maple Leafs are exploring the trade market in hopes of adding a top-four defenseman and a top-six forward. Some of the names they have been linked to include Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames and Mason Marchment of the Seattle Kraken. Along with that, players who have been mentioned as potential trade pieces include Matias Maccelli and Max Domi.
Team Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Season Record:Â 14-11-5 (35 pts)
Top Scorers:
William Nylander – 11 G, 25 A, 36 P
John Tavares  – 13 G, 17 A, 30 P
Matthew Knies – 7 G, 22 A, 29 P
Morgan Rielly – 5 G, 18 A, 23 P
Auston Matthews – 14 G, 9 A, 23 P
Goalie Stats:
Anthony Stolarz – 6-5-1, 3.51 GAA, .884 SV%
Joseph Woll – 5-3-1, 2.39 GAA, .927 SV%Â
Dennis Hildeby – 2-2-3, 1 SO, 2.72 GAA, .923 SV%
Washington Capitals
Season Record:Â 18-11-4 (40 pts)
Top Scorers:
Tom Wilson – 17 G, 15 A, 32 P
Alex Ovechkin – 14 G, 17 A, 31 P
Jakob Chychrun – 12 G, 14 A, 26 P
John Carlsson – 6 G, 18 A, 24 P
Dylan Strome – 6 G, 17 A, 23 P
Goalie Stats:
Logan Thompson – 13-7-3, 2.09 GAA, .922 SV%
Charlie Lindgren – 5-4-1, 3.10 GAA, .887 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
7 p.m. ET; MNMT, SNO
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Mathew Knies — Auston Matthews — William Nylander
Nicolas Robertson — John Tavares — Easton Cowan
Dakota Joshua — Nicolas Roy — Bobby McCann
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Max Domi
Morgan Rielly — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jake McCabe — Troy Stecher
Simon Benoit — Henry Thrun
Dennis Hildeby
Joseph Woll
Scratched:Â Philippe Myers, Calle Jarnkrok, Matia Maccelli
Injured:Â Chris Tanev (upper body), Anthony Stolarz (upper body), Brandon Carlo (lower body), Dakota Mermis (lower body)
Capitals projected lineup
Anthony Beauvillier — Dylan Strome — Alex Ovechkin
Aliaksei Protas — Justin Sourdif — Tom Wilson
Connor McMichael — Hendrix Lapierre — Ethen Frank
Sonny Milano — Nic Dowd — Brandon Duhaime
Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun — Matt Roy
Rasmus Sandin — Trevor van Riemsdyk
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched:Â Dylan McIlrath, Declan Chisholm, Bogdan Trineyev
Injured:Â Ryan Leonard (shoulder, facial injuries), Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body)
