Maple Leafs look to rebound against a possibly fatigued Canucks team

Get the latest from Terry Koshan straight to your inbox

Published Jan 11, 2025  •  3 minute read

Pontus Holmberg #29 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes the puck away from Dmitry Orlov #7 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of the game at Lenovo Center on January 09, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photo by Jaylynn Nash /Getty Images

The Maple Leafs can’t assume that the Vancouver Canucks will be tired and out of sorts on Saturday night.

Article content

Article content

Article content

After losing 2-0 on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, the Canucks’ travel to Toronto was delayed until Saturday morning because of inclement weather in the Raleigh, N.C., area.

“You want to be able to jump on a team and set the tone right away of how you want to play,” Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev said after the morning skate at Scotiabank Arena. “And after a loss in the last game for us, you want to get back to doing things the right way.”

The Leafs still were licking their wounds after the Hurricanes beat them 6-3 on Thursday, ending Toronto’s five-game winning streak and putting a stain on the mentors trip.

Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby will make his fifth career start in the National Hockey League. Joseph Woll gets a rest and will be in line to start the Leafs’ next game, on Tuesday at home against the Dallas Stars.

Article content

Article content

“Wollsy has played a lot and I was just thinking ahead too, with Dallas coming in (on Tuesday),” Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “I liked Dennis’ last game. Mentors’ trip, travel, travel home, that’s why I went with Hildeby.”

Hildeby most recently made 30 saves in a 3-2 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers this past Sunday.

Based on line rushes at the morning skate, forwards Ryan Reaves and Pontus Holmberg, and defenceman Marshall Rifai will be scratched.

It’s expected Kevin Lankinen will be in goal for the Canucks, who are 0-4-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets.

Tanev figured the Canucks’ lack of preparation and the fact they had to travel on a game day — and not a short distance, either — could go a couple of ways.

Article content

Tanev, who spent 10 seasons with the Canucks before signing with the Calgary Flames in free agency in 2020, has been on the right side of it. Playing for the Dallas Stars last season, Tanev and his Stars teammates couldn’t get out of Chicago, after losing to the Blackhawks, until the following day because of weather-related issues. The Stars travelled to Denver, put aside their fatigue and beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 that night.

“We played really well, because you just show up at the rink and there is probably less expectations on you,” Tanev said. “It’s a longer day and a hard day. But you show up and play and sometimes that’s easier.”

On the other hand?

“(Travelling on game day) definitely screws with your routine a bit,” Tanev said.

Article content

For the Leafs, the concentration is on how they have to be sharper than they were on Thursday. After building a 2-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old, the Leafs fell apart and were overrun by a Hurricanes team that took advantage of Toronto’s sloppiness.

Berube had little patience during the morning skate, yelling and swearing at the players more than once when he didn’t like what was witnessing.

“Check, play defence, keep the puck out of our net,” Berube said of where the Leafs have to be better than they were in Carolina. “We didn’t do a good enough job last game of that. Plenty of chances to score goals, but we gave up too much in the game.”

Toronto’s top line will be looking to rebound after a rough outing. Captain Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both were minus-6, while Matthew Knies was minus-5.

Berube said he talked to the players, but in the bigger picture, wasn’t concerned.

“One is a shorthanded goal, one is an empty net, sometimes you’re out there and you have nothing to do with it,” Berube said. “There were a couple on line changes where they are just getting out there and it’s in the net. There’s a lot of things that go into it.

“They just have to move on from it, but they have to be better too.”

[email protected]

X: @koshtorontosun

Article content