This is a meeting between two of the lowest-scoring 5v5 teams in the league, with the Leafs at 36 goals through 21 games and the Wild at 31 through 19 games. For that reason, Sheldon Keefe’s decision to take Nick Robertson back out of the lineup after the win in New Jersey in favour of Wayne Simmonds will face some scrutiny depending on the result today.
The positive news is that the Leafs have now allowed two or fewer goals in all 11 of their victories so far this season, which is quite the statistic and speaks to their defensive efforts as a team — which they’ve doubled down on with the injuries mounting on the blue line — as well as the consistent goaltending that has given them a chance to win every night.