Chris Tanev of the Toronto Maple Leafs is taken off the ice in a stretcher after an injury in the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers (Credit: Getty Images) On game night, the NHL hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Philadelphia Flyers at Scotiabank Arena in a critical NHL game. Toronto has a record of 27-24-9 and is ranked 14th in the league in terms of scoring with 192 goals (3.2 goals per game). Nevertheless, defensive battles can also be observed, with the Maple Leafs being 31st place in goals against, with 207 (3.4 per game).Toronto is priced at -135 favorites and Philadelphia is priced at +113 with the lines at 6.5 goals. As the playoffs seek to get into gear, the issue of clarity in lineups has taken center stage in this new story on the NHL news.
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Christopher Tanev injury details before Flyers game and return outlook
Christopher Tanev is unfit against the Flyers because of a groin injury. The long-time defenseman is yet to go back to full-contact practice and is still sidelined in his rehabilitation. Officials in the team have not given a definite date when he will be back labeling his position as day to day.This season, Tanev has played in 11 games and had two assists, with his roles being mostly on defensive-zone assignments and penalty-kill tasks. His absence is interesting considering the defensive statistics of Toronto. The minus-15 goal difference of the Maple Leafs shows the current problems with the ability to restrict high-danger opportunities.Further burdening the defensive forces of Toronto will be the lack of Tanev to support a shutdown pairing, as the remaining defenders will have to protect the goal and the Flyers’ offense, dominated by Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras. Philadelphia has 169 goals that have seen it ranked number 23, but it has exceeded 6.5 total goals in 27 of its 59 games this season.In the case of Toronto, it will be necessary to tighten the defensive coverage. The Maple Leafs have to do with an organized team defense and sound puck control, until Christopher Tanev comes back, to offset the loss of one of the most seasoned blue-line veterans.