Leafs may be without top star Auston Matthews for the second consecutive game
The Toronto Maple Leafs prepare to host the Detroit Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena on Friday. All eyes will be on Auston Matthews' status, as the star center missed Thursday's skate after also missing Tuesday's 4-0 victory against the Boston Bruins.
Since Matthews didn't skate, it's likely the Leafs will stick with the same lineup from Tuesday, which likely means Anthony Stolarz will get his third consecutive start in goal. Stolarz has made a combined 60 saves on 62 shots over his last two starts.
"He's really grown over his career and the belief in his ability," said Maple Leafs forward John Tavares about Stolarz. "I think it's just demeanor. He's very just calm and relaxed, easygoing. I think you see that in the net."
Stolarz’s recent performances have solidified his role as the Leafs' current preferred option in goal, having played in nine of the team's 14 games.
The Leafs will also be hoping their rejuvenated power play continues its streak. They’ve netted four power-play goals over the last two games, rebounding after going just 3-for-38 at the start of the season.
The Red Wings are riding a two-game winning streak, having defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Wednesday. They held an optional practice at Ford Performance Center in Toronto on Thursday, where head coach Derek Lalonde hinted at potentially getting former Leaf defenseman Justin Holl into the lineup.
“Would like to get [Justin] Holl in, would like to get Motter [Tyler Motte] in. Something we’ll discuss through tomorrow morning and go from there," Lalonde told DetroitRedWings.com.
Now in the second year of a three-year, $3.4 million AAV contract, Holl has mostly been a healthy scratch for the Red Wings, appearing in just seven of their 12 games with one assist. Holl previously spent parts of six seasons with the Leafs, appearing in 285 regular-season games before signing his three-year, $10.2 million deal with Detroit on July 1, 2023.
Where to watch
Viewers in the Maple Leafs’ region can watch and stream the game on TSN4. For the rest of Canada, it will stream on Sportsnet+ Premium. In the Detroit area, it airs on FanDuel Sports Network. For viewers in the U.S., the game streams on ESPN+.