Game Day #43: Maple Leafs @ Kings

Toronto Maple Leafs v Los Angeles Kings (Staples Center)

Time: 7:30 PM PST

TV: Fox Sports West, SportsNet One

Enemy Reading: Pension Plan Puppets

Lineups:

Los Angeles Kings

Gaborik-Kopitar-Carter
Brown-Stoll-Williams
King-Richards-Lewis
Clifford-Andreoff-Nolan

McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Greene
Schultz-Martinez

Jones
(Quick)

Scratched: McBain, Shore; Injured: Pearson, Toffoli, Regehr; Suspended: Voynov

Toronto Maple Leafs

Winnik-Bozak-Kessel
van Riemsdyk-Kadri-Panik
Komarov-Santorelli-Clarkson
Booth-Smith-Bodie
Phaneuf-Franson
Rielly-Polak
Gardiner-Robidas
Bernier
(Reimer)

Injured: Holland, Lupul; Scratched: Holzer, Carrick

Notes:

• Sean McIndoe at Grantland wrote a lot about the Maple Leafs today. TL;DR version:
  

  The good news is that this organization has finally given itself the chance to find out what it’s working with. The bad news is that it may not like the answer or what will have to come next.

  It's way too early to know for sure, but in the two games since firing Randy Carlyle, the Leafs have a 51.1% Corsi. So... improvement!
• However, that's nothing next to the Kings, who continue to put up lofty possession numbers (now second in the NHL, including their average first month). However, if LA can't cut down on early defensive breakdowns, bad PKs, and sloppy goaltending, the possession alone isn't going to cut it.
• That's especially true with Tanner Pearson now sitting in the press box next to Tyler Toffoli. Assuming that Nick Shore is being kept in reserve until he's gotten a little more practice time (and Darryl Sutter insisted he'd get a shot), Andy Andreoff and Jordan Nolan are playing for their spots right about now. Tell us about it, Darryl!
  

  I’d say Andreoff and Nolan would both be in the very same boat. Guys who have played a handful of shifts once in a while and need to play a hell of a lot better than they have.

• Martin Jones also gets a shot in the lineup tonight. He's allowed ten goals in his last two appearances, so this is a big opportunity to get him back on the right side of things.
• Highly touted prospect William Nylander has been called up from his Swedish team, Modo, to Toronto. Bad news for Modo, who is currently last in the SHL. Good news for Kings prospect Adrian Kempe, who should see a boost in playing time with Nylander gone!
• PREDICTION: Nolan, Andreoff, and Clifford combine for five points.