The Toronto Maple Leafs face the New Jersey Devils in a matchup between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs have a 10-5-5 record which is second-best in the Atlantic Division. The Devils meanwhile have a 16-3 record and with an unprecedented 13 wins in a row, they boast the best record in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams are looking to remain near the top of their divisions and the Eastern Conference and the upcoming game looks to be a great one as a result.
The Maple Leafs are having a great season but hope the offense can improve, scoring only 2.95 goals per game with only two goals in their recent game. Mitch Marner and John Tavares have scored 15 goals and 30 assists while Auston Matthews and William Nylander have added 19 goals and 23 assists to the top two lines but the rest of the offense has struggled. Only three skaters have scored five goals or more while only five skaters have added seven assists or more and opposing defenses can easily limit the top-heavy offense as a result.
The offense has struggled but the defense has carried the Maple Leafs, allowing only 2.70 goals per game. Mark Giordano and Justin Holl have combined for 2.5 defensive point shares and 85 blocked shots while Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren have combined for 1.3 defensive point shares to give the Maple Leafs two great defensive pairings. In addition, goaltender Matt Murray has stepped up in the net with a .913 save percentage and a 2.76 goals-against average on 127 shots.