Maple Leafs get one more kick at the Vancouver Canucks
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Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks
7 p.m. on Sportsnet Ontario, TVAS, and Sportsnet Pacific
The last of three games against the Canucks is tonight, and the Leafs have a chance to make it three wins in a row. After this, Toronto visits Vancouver in March and again in April for two-game series, and then play the final game near the end of the season at home. That end-of-season game seems a long way off, but with this shortened season some things are already clear about the standings.
The Maple Leafs’ goaltending depth took another hit on Tuesday when head coach Sheldon Keefe announced backup netminder Jack Campbell suffered a leg injury in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Calgary that will sideline him for “weeks.”
That pushes journeyman Michael Hutchinson into the spot behind starter Frederik Andersen for the foreseeable future. Rookie Joseph Woll is headed to meet the Leafs out west and join their taxi squad after a quarantine period.
Toronto lost former third goalie Aaron Dell on waivers to New Jersey last Monday, a move they felt compelled to make because of salary cap implications. Dell would have been the projected backup in Campbell’s absence if he were still around, but the Leafs will simply have to make do now with what they have.
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Matthews to miss Oilers rematch
The Maple Leafs will be without Auston Matthews for Friday’s game against Edmonton as he battles “upper-body soreness,” but head coach Sheldon Keefe is optimistic the star centre won’t be sidelined for long.
TORONTO The Maple Leafs will be without Auston Matthews for Friday’s game against Edmonton as he battles “upper-body soreness,” but head coach Sheldon Keefe is optimistic the star centre won’t be sidelined for long.
“It’s going to be a day-to-day situation. I’m not too concerned,” Keefe told reporters on a Zoom call Friday following the team’s optional morning skate. “There was a possibility that he would play today but he just still wasn t feeling right in that sense, so we re going to give it a little bit more time.”
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The Maple Leafs’ lineup will be knocked down a size for the next month.
And for at least one game, the Leafs will have to get by without centre Auston Matthews.
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Matthews is dealing with upper-body soreness and will not play on Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers at Scotiabank Arena.
“I’m not too concerned,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday morning. “There was a possibility he would play today, but it wasn’t feeling right in that sense today so we’re going to give a little more time.”