Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Knies, McMann, Murray & Matthews  – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The second game of the season’s Battle of Ontario takes place tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Ottawa Senators. Toronto leads the Atlantic Division, but the team lost a goofy 5-1 game to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. The Senators are having a solid season but also are coming off a loss. They, too, hope to end their recent poor play (two shutouts in a row on the road) and get back marching toward a playoff spot.

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The Maple Leafs are undermanned. They’re still waiting for the return of a few key players. There is good news on goalie Anthony Stolarz, who boasts a stellar .927 save percentage. He seems to be recovering ahead of schedule after knee surgery in December. Forward Matthew Knies, who sustained an upper-body injury in the Columbus game, is considered day-to-day. His fans shouldn’t expect him to play tonight.

Item One: The Senators Are an Up-and-Coming Team

It’s worth talking about the Senators for a moment. Although, as noted, they are coming into tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak, they are putting up a solid season. Still, in the nation’s capital, it’s concerning that they have already been shut out five times in January alone.

Offensive production has been difficult for them. Interestingly, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is stuck in a nine-game pointless streak, and Tim Stützle has only scored two points in his last six games. It’s probably more correct this season to say that, with the Senators’ talent, they have the players to turn things around. That hasn’t been the case recently in Ottawa. If the team can get its power play up to snuff (it’s gone just 1-for-19 in its last seven games), they could start winning again.

By the way, Ottawa shut out Toronto in their first meeting on Nov. 12 by a score of 3-0. I would be surprised if that happened tonight.

Item Two: Auston Matthews Didn’t Slow Down, Even If His Team Did

In more really good news for the Maple Leafs, fans can probably put a checkmark next to Auston Matthews’ name in the recovered-from-injury column. Even when his other teammates didn’t generate anything offensively against the Blue Jackets, Matthews scored. He’s on a five-game goal-scoring streak (six goals).

Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

In fact, Matthews has scored nine goals in 12 games since returning from his injury. Head coach Craig Berube shared his assessment of Matthews’ speed and pace, saying, “I just see the speed and the pace of the game he’s playing with. He looks like he’s really healthy.” With the Maple Leafs captain in peak form, look for him to continue his offensive production. It could be a gun battle tonight against a Senators team trying hard to win on home ice.

Item Three: Maple Leafs Shuffle Backup Goalies

The Maple Leafs made a pair of goalie moves this week. They sent Dennis Hildeby to the American Hockey League (AHL) and recalled Matt Murray to the NHL roster. Hildeby has struggled to be consistent. He’s played three of the Maple Leafs’ last nine games in his limited game action and posted a 1-2-0 record with a 2.97 goals-against average and .868 save percentage. The assignment to the Toronto Marlies should give him a chance to get more starts. That can’t be bad.

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Meanwhile, Murray’s promotion signals a shift in the Maple Leafs’ goalie thinking. Stolarz remains sidelined with a knee injury. Murray, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, has been great in the minors this season. He has a 1.68 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in 15 games. While Joseph Woll continues to hold the starter role, Murray’s strong form in the AHL has shown he’s back from his injury. He could be the reliable backup the team needs heading into the second half of the season. I’m surprised this wasn’t the organization’s plan all along.

Item Four: Knies’ Injury Creates a Chance for McMann

Matthew Knies remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and coach Berube has acknowledged no clear timeline for his return. The 22-year-old winger had been an emerging player for the Maple Leafs, collecting four points over his last three games while averaging 17:24 of ice time. His absence could leave a gap in the lineup ahead of tonight’s game.

In Knies’ place, Bobby McMann gets to step into a first-line role alongside Matthews and Mitch Marner. This unexpected promotion gives McMann a chance to show his skills in a high-stakes position. While it remains to be seen how the move impacts the team’s chemistry, McMann’s play could be key as the Maple Leafs work through their current injury challenges. He and Knies share similarities in size and speed but score differently. Can McMann replicate his young teammate’s success?

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

With Matthews leading the way and potential reinforcements coming over the hill, the Maple Leafs seek to extend their lead in the Atlantic Division. The NHL’s Atlantic feels like a game of tic-tac-toe—strategic moves made, but no one gaining a decisive edge. Teams have recently been stuck in a win-one, lose-one cycle, where over the past 10 games, the standings have been in a perpetual stalemate where even small streaks feel big.

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Most teams have been hovering around the .500 mark over their last ten games. This trend of teams winning one and then losing has kept the standings relatively tight. The Montréal Canadiens remain the only team with a better record, 7-2-1 over their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the stalemates have allowed the Maple Leafs to maintain their lead in the division with 62 points, three ahead of the Florida Panthers (59 points). Despite a tough 5-1 loss to Columbus, they still have a bit of a cushion, thanks in part to the inconsistent performances of their divisional rivals.

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