The Maple Leafs will roll with the same lineup as they deployed in their season-opening game against the Canadiens.
The Maple Leafs will roll with the same lineup as they deployed in their season-opening game against the Canadiens.
It's the season debut of Hockey Night in Canada as the Maple Leafs host the Minnesota Wild.
Toronto will be looking for a bounce-back game after the thriller against the Canadiens on Wednesday. While it was an enjoyable game for the fans, there are some areas that the Maple Leafs want to clean up in Saturday's game.
Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe has elected to ice the same lineup against Montreal. Ilya Samsonov, to no surprise, will be the starting goaltender on Saturday vs. the Wild.
When asked about how the workload will be split between Samsonov and Joseph Woll, Keefe said to expect something similar to last season.
"The schedule being what it is, you have to use both guys and we will," he noted.
The Wild — coming into Saturday's game — are also undefeated after they shut out the Florida Panthers in Minnesota on Thursday. It'll be a different game for both teams on Saturday, though, as each group likes to play a structured game.
"We got a lot of new guys here still finding their way through the game reps of our system and structure that will take time," said Keefe after Friday's practice. "But I certainly expect it to be a more controlled game on both sides on Saturday."
It'll also be Ryan Reaves' first game against his former team, a squad that he played 67 games with last season.
Where to Watch
The game in Canada, of course, will be carried on CBC, Sportsnet Ontario, and Sportsnet Pacific for those on the West Coast. In the United States, you'll be able to find the game on ESPN+ as well as Bally Sports in the Wild’s local region.
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