Tonight at 7:00pm EST, the Edmonton Oilers are visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs and do so without their captain Connor McDavid.
Tonight’s game between the Oilers and Maple Leafs just got a little less exciting for casual fans, but gives Toronto the advantage going into the game. The Oilers announced today that their captain Connor McDavid was being placed in COVID-19 protocol and would not being eligible to play in tonight’s contest. Alongside the Oiler’s forward are Derek Ryan (FWD) and Tyson Barrie (DEF), who also will enter COVID-19 protocol and won’t be available tonight. This is the second time that McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19 having previously tested positive back in October of 2020.
With the Oilers not having their leading scorer in the lineup, the team certainly has their work cut out for them against a Toronto Maple Leafs team that kicked off 2022 with a dominant 6-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on New Year’s Day. Despite the team having their Monday night game against the Carolina Hurricanes postponed due to Canada’s restrictions on cross-border travel, the Leafs are poised to continue their winning ways and get out on the right foot against the short-handed Oilers.
We can’t count Edmonton out entirely though! Remember the name Leon Draisaitl? Yeah, he’s going to have something to say about putting a fork in the Oilers before the puck has even dropped. He’s only one point behind McDavid (52) and is averaging just under 23-minutes a game, so expect to hear his name and see his number a lot tonight as he’ll look to put the team on his back. It’s crazy to think that the next highest point scorer for Edmonton is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with only half as many points as Draisaitl with 26.
Toronto are looking to win their fourth game in a row, keeping in mind the six-games that were postponed for them due to COVID-19 restrictions on travel. Within their three-game winning streak, the Leafs have scored 16 goals while conceding only five. Goaltender Jack Campbell is having an outstanding year for the Leafs, putting up some Vezina Trophy winning numbers! With a 1.86 GAA, a save percentage of .939 and boasting 16-wins in 23-games started, does Campbell have what it takes to take this team to the promise land and beyond the first round of the playoffs? All signs point to yes, so let’s see if the Leafs forwards can do their part.
Comparing the two teams with the entire league, the Maple Leafs enter tonight’s game second in goals against per game (2.4) and sixth in goals for per game (3.4). They also sit second in power-play percentage (29.7) and are eighth in the league on the penalty kill (82.8). The Oilers aren’t far behind them in goals for (3.3) but have something to be desired in the goals against, sitting 21st in the league (3.2). While their penalty kill is good enough to keep them within the league’s average and 14th overall, the team can be proud of their power-play numbers, boasting top spot in the league with a 30.5% succession rate.
Overall, the favourite tonight are the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’re coming in riding some momentum and appear the stronger side on paper. While the Edmonton Oilers will have their work cut out for them tonight, both teams are guaranteed to offer up some entertaining Canadian hockey when the puck drops at 7:00pm EST.
Andrew Stuetz