When the Toronto Maple Leafs head down to Florida for a potential playoff preview, they will be doing so without the services of Max Domi and Bobby McMann.
McMann exited Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury after colliding with Alex DeBrincat and Sheldon Keefe was initially coy about McMann’s status. The 27-year-old’s absence during these last two regular season games is most likely for precautionary reasons, but Keefe did mention today after practice that the team will assess his availability for Game 1 later in the week.
Domi is dealing with an ailment that may be affecting his ability to play so they are sitting him for Tuesday’s game against the Panthers. He is currently deemed unlikely to play on Wednesday in Tampa Bay, though the way Keefe framed it there is a chance Domi could slot in depending on how things shake up in terms of his injury.
Calle Jarnkrok will be joining the team for this upcoming road trip but it remains to be seen if he will be good to go for Game 1. At this time, he is listed as day-to-day which is certainly encouraging in the sense that he is getting closer but it also remains uncertain just how much more time he needs before he can play again. For what it’s worth, he took some reps during practice which included special teams drills.
Joseph Woll has been confirmed to be the starter for Tuesday’s game against Florida but who gets the nod on Wednesday is still undetermined. While it might make sense to give Ilya Samsonov one more start given how poorly his last two starts went, it is also important to get Martin Jones a game because the last thing the Leafs want is to have to turn to him when he is so far removed from his previous start. Besides, that game will have no bearings on the standings so there is no risk in going with Jones instead of Samsonov.
On a more positive note, Jake McCabe seems like he will be good to go for one or both of the last two games. He had to get some stitches under his left eye after taking a puck to the face, but the cut was not severe enough that it would impact his vision of the ice. You can expect him to get into at least one of the games and get the night off for the other.
It also appears Joel Edmundson is on track to return to the lineup soon after sitting out Saturday’s game against the Red Wings. When exactly he will get back in is unknown at this time, but the fact he had a good practice as Keefe described it, is certainly encouraging nonetheless.
The Leafs have come full circle as they have put Tyler Bertuzzi with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, just like they did to begin the campaign. Matthew Knies’ stint on the fourth line appears to be on hold since he goes back into the top six, while Noah Gregor slides in to fill in for the injured McMann. It also appears TJ Brodie will be a projected healthy scratch tomorrow, which puts into question his status for the playoff lineup. Otherwise, the lines are fairly similar to what was used over the weekend.
The Leafs will head down to Florida to take on the Panthers. You can catch the action on TSN4 and puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.
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