With high playoff dreams on the line, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins will play their third and final game tonight.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are fighting for their lives, but as everyone knows, the Toronto Maple Leafs are guaranteed another postseason trip. Just a few weeks ago, a lot of people believed that the team should move Sidney Crosby since they were struggling, but tonight’s victory is crucial if they want to qualify for the playoffs.
The last time the Leafs played the Penguins, former general manager Kyle Dubas’s new team fell 7-0 in his Toronto comeback. It was an embarrassing experience for Dubas. His club was ridiculed by the Leafs, despite having turned this franchise around and given this community its greatest chance to win a Stanley Cup in 20 years.
Pittsburgh’s Playoff Hopes Seeked to Be Halted by the Leafs This evening
After that defeat in December, the Penguins are a very different team, and tonight’s game will include some intriguing themes.
As was previously said, Dubas’s return to town always makes headlines, but the stars are the real draw. With 45 goals and 85 points this season, Crosby is carrying the Penguins on his back and proving why he’s one of the top players in the league. Although goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has also been excellent lately, this team’s only chance of making the playoffs is because of Crosby.
The other superstar in this game, Auston Matthews, will keep chasing history by attempting to earn one more goal to reach the legendary seventy-goal milestone. With six games remaining, Matthews is six goals away from his season total of 64 goals after scoring once more on Saturday night.
I would anticipate a disappointing performance from the home team because this game doesn’t mean as much to Toronto as it does to Pittsburgh, but Sheldon Keefe needs to inspire his squad to be prepared if he wants this year’s postseason run to be different.
If the Leafs lose easily tonight, it won’t surprise me because they usually have slumbering home games on Mondays. However, watching Matthews attempt to make history will always be entertaining.
