Toronto Maple Leafs Suffer Blow: John Tavares Sidelined for Game Against Pittsburgh Penguins

Early this morning John Tavares' status for tonight's game came into doubt after he did not practice. Reports revealed Tavares was a game-time decision due to illness at the time. The Maple Leafs did not comment on his availability.

This is not the first injury or illness scare for John Tavares this season. During the preseason there was some fear Tavares was injured after a big hit he took against the Montreal Canadiens.

Now just a few minutes before tonight's puck drop, it has been confirmed that John Tavares will be out of the lineup. He will sit out with the illness that he has been dealing with since before the game against the New Jersey Devils.

Without John Tavares in the lineup, Max Domi is expected to shift to center. Pontus Holmberg will get an opportunity to play on a line with William Nylander as a result of the news as well. Ryan Reaves will also factor back into the lineup after being scratched against the New Jersey Devils. Beyond those changes, the lineup stays essentially the same against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Anthony Stolarz is expected to be the starter against the Penguins. This will be his first opportunity to play since the Maple Leafs opening night loss to the Montreal Canadiens. In that game, Stolarz played well but was outshined by the Canadiens.

The Maple Leafs will now need secondary stars and role players to step up to fill the void left by John Tavares being out. If the Toronto Maple Leafs play well tonight it will be interesting to see what head coach Craig Berube decides to do going forward.