The Toronto Maple Leafs face the Pittsburgh Penguins with both teams on opposite ends of the Eastern Conference to start the season. The Maple Leafs have an 8-5-3 record while the Penguins have a 6-6-3 record and have only won two of their last 10 games. Both teams are looking to improve in their divisions and the Eastern Conference, making the upcoming game a pivotal one for both teams.
The Maple Leafs are off to a strong start to the season but hope their offense can step up, scoring only 2.81 goals per game with only five goals in the last two games. Mitch Marner and John Tavares have scored 11 goals and 23 assists while Auston Mathews and William Nylander have added 13 goals and 17 assists to the top two lines but the rest of the offense has struggled. Only three skaters have scored four goals or more while only five skaters have scored five goals or more and opposing defenses can limit the top-heavy offense as a result.
The offense has struggled but the defense has stepped up, allowing only 2.75 goals per game. Mark Giordano and Morgan Rielly have combined for 1.9 defensive point shares and 51 blocked shots while T.J. Brodie, Justin Holl, and Rasmus Sandin have added 2.0 defensive point shares and 69 blocked shots to add depth to the unit. The hope is that Matt Murray can step up in the net as he looks to return from injury after starting only one game and allowing four goals.