Leafs expect healthier lineup for trip to Edmonton, Vancouver
The most daunting road trip of the Toronto Maple Leafs' season begins against a challenger to their top division seed, which boasts the league's two top scorers, while Toronto could be missing its goal leader.
But the Leafs headed west to Edmonton for five games in eight nights starting today on an optimistic note. Coach Sheldon Keefe should have defenceman Jake Muzzin and winger Joe Thornton returning from injury, while it appears No. 2 goalie Jack Campbell will be back after a month off with a lower body issue, And if top gun Auston Matthews is out with a nagging sore wrist, it shouldn't be too long.
“Auston is day to day, I'm not ruling him out,” Keefe said Friday, noting “he still competed his ass off ” despite the sore hand through parts of 21 games to date.
So it should be an interesting pregame prep for the Leafs against the Oilers' Connor Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl as they determine if Matthews is a go or whether the first line will have to shape up as John Tavares between Thornton and Mitch Marner.
Thornton, who had to skip a couple of games with a lower body injury, returned Friday, but the most unusual sight was Muzzin in a full visor. He took a stick in the face against Calgary earlier in the week and broke a bone under his right eye.
“It's not that bad, maybe a little tough to see lower (pucks) at your feet,” Muzzin said. “I've never worn one before. In junior we had cages, but I've never worn a bubble.
“It was a little bit scary, I'm not going to lie. You get hit in the face, you black out a little bit and see the blood coming. I was just praying the eye was OK. The bone gets broke, it is what it is, but you get hit in the eye, it's pretty bad.”
Campbell has had a slow recovery since Matthew Tkachuk of the Flames landed on him in a crease pileup. He pronounced himself “ready to go” Friday, but Keefe was holding off confirming that he'll play in place of Michael Hutchinson on Saturday as Andersen gets better by the day.
Of the trip to Edmonton and Vancouver, Muzzin noted: “It's going to be a challenge. This whole season has been different, whether it's been travel or games in short periods of time.”