Tonight will be a "mother-in-law" game against the 5-2 Maple Leafs — if the Predators give an inch, the Maple Leafs will take a mile.
It has been a tough October schedule for the Nashville Predators, and tonight could be the team's toughest test so far as they face off against the 5-2 Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs are coming off of a three game win streak that includes their most recent 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday. William Nylander and John Tavares lead the Leafs in points while Austin Matthews has seven goals, including two hat tricks already this season. Toronto is a team that can turn their opponent's small mistakes into big goals.
Mar 26, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) is congratulated by teammates after scoring the eventual game winning goal during the third period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAYNashville had a disappointing performance on Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-2 loss. Head coach Andrew Brunette didn't feel like the team got to their game until the third period, and he knows that kind of performance won't cut it tonight against the Leafs.
"I think a lot of our home games we've eased ourselves into it. With a team like Toronto if you ease yourself into it, you'll be down three nothing at the start of the game," Brunette said after Friday's practice.
"The focus here for us is getting to our game as quick as possible," Brinette said.
Today the Predators announced line up changes for tonight's game. Phil Tomasino will play tonight after being a healthy scratch for three games and recent waiver pick up Liam Foudy will make his Predators debut against the Maple Leafs.
Nashville and Toronto face off tonight at Bridgestone Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 pm CT.
