The Leafs are getting hit at the worst possible time, and it's forcing a quiet lineup tax
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It's another string of injuries for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they have not only William Nylander out, but also Simon Benoit as the lineup gets tested yet again.
As the Maple Leafs continue to slog away in a tough Atlantic Division, they aren't out of the clear when it comes to injuries even though it looked like they were finally getting healthy.
Not only are they still without Chris Tanev and Anthony Stolarz, but they also just lost William Nylander and Simon Benoit as well. It's not a good sign especially with how important this next stretch of games are, and the lineup has to show up.
On Saturday night it's going to be a wonkier lineup than we are used to as the Leafs will have Calle Jarnkrok sliding in, while also having rookie Jacob Quillan in the lineup after he was expected to join the team.
Toronto's future depends on how they manage their schedule going forward
It's a horrible time to have to deal with these injuries as not only is the team facing a tough schedule ahead of them, but with a rapidly approaching trade deadline -- they have to ensure they have all their pieces back in order to make any deals work.
Taking a look ahead, the team plays tonight in Winnipeg before heading heading home for a five-game homestand but their opponents aren't exactly the easiest.
They have Minnesota, Detroit, Vegas, Colorado, and Buffalo all coming up. While there's certainly opportunities to win those games, Toronto is up against five strong teams who have a lot of momentum in addition to their star power.
It means that the team needs to prove to everyone they can handle things without some of their key players. They had success earlier in the season with Nylander out, but you can't argue against his offensive abilities -- he makes the team better.
That means the chemistry that was built up with Nick Robertson and his line, the resurgence of Auston Matthews and a continued string of strong goaltending are going to be crucial at weathering the storm while guys like Nylander and Benoit are away.
It's time for the Maple Leafs to come together once again and battle whatever comes their way without their top scorer and it starts on Saturday night in the frosty confines of Winnipeg.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 17|1131 ANSWERS The Leafs are getting hit at the worst possible time, and it's forcing a quiet lineup tax Will the Maple Leafs be able to stay healthy to secure a playoff spot? | ||
| Yes | 677 | 59.9 % |
| No | 454 | 40.1 % |
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