Canucks-Maple Leafs Game Day
Fitness level
This one is simple. The Canucks who suit up today will have had three practices together since COVID-19 first shut things down weeks ago. This team won't be game ready. Advantage Toronto.
Star power is back
Auston Matthews and William Nylander appear set to return to the Leafs' lineup. Matthews missed Thursday's game against Winnipeg after taking a hit the game before, while Nylander was on the COVID-19 protocol list. The Leafs are still a dangerous team without the duo in the lineup, now they're back to being among the league's best, especially with Matthews playing like a possible league MVP this year.
Lineup bingo
Most Canucks may be off the COVID-19 protocol list, but what J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat made abundantly clear earlier last week was that many players are still feeling the effects of their infection and won't be close to healthy enough to play, so what this lineup might look like is a pretty big guessing game. Travis Green said Saturday that 13 forwards and eight defencemen were able to skate on Saturday, but Tyler Motte, Thatcher Demko and Olli Juolevi would not be options to play as they continue to recover from COVID-19. Canucks management also closed practice to the media, in violation of the NHL's rules, so how they will line up won't be known until game time today.
Slump-busting
The Leafs come into today's game having lost three straight. With two games against the Canucks, they'll be looking to get themselves back in the win column. The Leafs dominated the Canucks over their first three meetings this season, but the Canucks played two of their best games of the season against Toronto in early March.
Warning from bench boss
Green ran the Canucks practice on Saturday and while he was a little hoarse when speaking to the media afterwards, he said he felt much better than he had. Brandon Sutter said Green had the worst COVID-19 bout of any Canuck and the head coach acknowledged it had been a difficult time for him, and made sure to thank the doctors who had treated him. He also urged Canucks fans to remain vigilant over the coming weeks: “Continue to do the right things, don't let your guard down even if it's hard ... You don't want to get it and you don't want other people to get it.”