The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators in the first battle of Ontario this season.
“Huge weekend starts today with Ottawa,” said Leafs head coach Craig Berube. “You definitely got to get wins.”
The Leafs visit the Red Wings tomorrow as they return from the Christmas break with back-to-back games against division rivals they are chasing. Toronto (16-15-5) starts the day four points back of Ottawa (18-13-5) and 10 back of the Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings (22-13-3).
“It shouldn’t be too hard to get back up to speed considering the importance of each and every game,” said forward John Tavares.
Last season the Senators won all three games in the regular season against the Maple Leafs, outscoring Toronto 9-2.
“Of course, Saturday night in Toronto is always a big game,” said Sens forward Tim Stutzle, who enters the game on an eight-game point streak (seven goals, eight assists). “Every game is important. You look at the standings, it’s so tight. If we play our game, we’ll be fine.”
Toronto will start Joseph Woll in goal. Dennis Hildeby projects as the starter in Detroit tomorrow.
Linus Ullmark is expected to get the start in goal for Ottawa.
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A milestone night in Toronto for a pair of former Philadelphia Flyers teammates.
Scott Laughton plays in his 700th career game, while Senators forward Claude Giroux will play in career game No. 1,300 tonight.
“It does mean something,” said Laughton. “Anytime you hit a certain amount of games you think back to the start of your career. I think playing full years in the NHL, going back to the minors and not really sure if I was coming back, grinding for a while.”
“I feel very fortunate and grateful to play every day and come to the rink every day in the best league in the world.”
Laughton spent the first 12 seasons of his NHL career with the Flyers before joining the Maple Leafs in a trade at last year’s deadline.
“It’s obviously special but at the end of the day coming off Christmas, we are looking for a win,” said Giroux. “It’s nice to be able to play 1,300 with these guys here.”
“Having my kids understanding a little bit of playing in the NHL and playing for the Senators, that is special for me,” Giroux said.
“You don’t play 1,300 games in the league without having a lot of traits and habits and elements to your game that are beneficial to a team and teammates,” said Senators head coach Travis Green. “To play that long, you have to be an exceptional hockey player. I’m excited for him.”
“It just shows the determination and dedication he has,“ Berube said about Giroux. “I was in Philly when he came in as a rookie. I worked with him a long time. Hell of a player who has had a really good career. I really enjoyed being around him.”
Berube was an assistant coach in Philadelphia when Giroux started his NHL career.
Laughton and Giroux were teammates with the Flyers from 2013-14 to 2021-2022.
“He’s a great friend,” said Laughton. “I sat at the same card table and spent a lot of hours together. He’s a special guy. He’s a really special player who hasn’t lost a step and sees the game very well. [Playing 1,300 games] is really impressive.”
“Me and Scotty got pretty close when we played together,” recalled Giroux. “We got along very well. Playing against him is always a little weird, a little awkward. He’s a competitive guy. I’m really proud of him. He worked really hard to get to where he is.”
Who was the big winner when it came to playing cards?
“I’ll let him answer that question, he knows,” smiled Giroux. “He called me the champ for a few years.”
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Easton Cowan will be a healthy scratch for a 3rd straight game.
The Leafs 20-year old forward had two goals and two assists in the 10 previous games before the benching.
Berube insists Cowan will return to the lineup in short order.
“[I’ve had] conversations with him … we won last game. Just be patient,” the coach said this morning. “We definitely do not want him sitting out too long. That’s not good for his growth. I think he helps us. I think he’s a good player and he’s only going to get better.”
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Brandon Carlo was on the ice for the morning skate as he continues to make progress from foot surgery three-and-a-half weeks ago.
“He’s coming along pretty well,” said Berube. “He’ll be skating here and hopefully no setback with him.”
Carlo has missed 18 games. There is no timetable for his return.
The news is not as encouraging for goalie Anthony Stolarz, who last played November 11 and has been out with an upper-body injury. Stolarz hasn’t been on the ice since he left after the first period of the game against the Boston Bruins.
Berube was asked this morning if there is any clarity on the status of his goaltender.
“Not really. Indefinite as of right now.”
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The Maple Leafs’ newest assistant coach took to the ice this morning.
Steve Sullivan was hired following the firing of Marc Savard, who was fired from his position as assistant coach earlier this week. Savard specialized in the power play, and Toronto’s power play sits last in the NHL at 13 per cent.
“Sully seems like a great guy,” Laughton told reporters. “I got to know him a little bit at camp and had some conversations with him, so I think it’s a great addition for us.”
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one of the few players who played in the league when Sullivan did.
“I played with Sully [with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2012-13], so it makes me feel a little bit older,” Ekman-Larsson joked. “He’s a smart guy, over 1,000 games and being a power-play guy, so it’s good to see.”
“Great to have Sully here,” said Berube. “We brought him in here help us and work with the power play.”
What’s the focus on the power play?
“A new voice and some different set ups going forward,” said Berube. “We need to get some chemistry with the units we have.”
Sullivan will work with fellow assistant coach Derek Lalonde on the power play. Toronto has gone 0-for-12 on the power play in the past four games.
While the Leafs have the NHL’s worst PP, the Senators power play is ranked fourth, converting at a 26.1 per cent clip.
The Leafs’ penalty kill is ranked fifth (83.3 per cent), while the Senators have the worst PK in the league (71.7 per cent).
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Projected Maple Leafs lines
McMann – Matthews – Domi
Maccelli – Tavares – Nylander
Knies – Roy – Robertson
Joshua – Laughton – Lorentz
Extra: Cowan, Jarnkrok
Rielly – Myers
McCabe – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Stecher
Extra: Benoit – Carlo Thrun
Woll -projected starter
Hildeby
Projects Senators lines
Tkachuk – Stutzle – Zetterlund
Perron – Cozens – Batherson
Amadio – Greig – Giroux
Bourgault (NHL debut) – Halliday – Cousins
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Spence
Mantinpalo – Jensen
Ullmark (projected starter)
Merilainen