The Need to Knows
- Time: 7:00 pm PT
- Place: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
- Where to Watch: ESPN+, HULU, TSN4, TVAS
- Where to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on 93.3 KJR
Know Your Enemy
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Craig Berube replaced Sheldon Keefe as head coach of the Maple Leafs in May, the intended harbinger of tougher, grittier hockey in Toronto, yet scoring is as great a strength for them as ever. Mitch Marner and William Nylander– who completed his second career hat trick in Toronto’s 6-3 win at Calgary on Tuesday– lead the Leafs and sit top-five in the league in points and goals, respectively. Although Toronto’s 5-5-0 over their last ten, their 32-19-2 record overall is good for second place in the Atlantic Division, where they’ve finished top-three since the 2017-18 season.
That said, the Leafs are experiencing newfound defensive success. At five-on-five, Toronto’s allowed 89 goals total (5th), 2.06 per 60 (7th), and prevented 12.69 above expected (7th). They ranked 19th, 18th, and 11th in these categories at the end of last season. Offseason acquisitions Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev– the latter third among defensemen in shots blocked (142) with at least 500 minutes logged in all situations– have helped in this regard, as have upgrades in goal.
Anthony Stolarz, one such upgrade, hasn’t played since December but could return to action in Seattle. Stolarz had a 17-9-5 record before sustaining a knee injury, recording a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% in that span.
Game Preview
This is the second and final meeting between Toronto and Seattle this season. While the Leafs aren’t the same team they have been each season since the Kraken’s inaugural run, one thing has remained consistent of their few contests: their lopsided nature. Seattle is 1-5-1 all-time versus Toronto and has been outscored 17-28 in those seven games, with their only win coming on the road in 2023.
Seattle is scheduled to hold a morning skate, and given Toronto didn’t practice Wednesday, they could as well. Whether Ryker Evans (three games missed with an upper-body injury) and Marner (absent from the Leafs’ last game with a lower-body injury) will be available for Thursday’s tilt remains to be seen.