The Maple Leafs are expected to make three personnel changes to their lineup from Thursday’s 5-1 defeat to the Blues: Max Pacioretty will return from injury up front in place of Pontus Holmberg, the 6’6 Philippe Myers is expected to make his season/Leafs debut on the blue line in place of Conor Timmins, and Anthony Stolarz returns to the crease.
It’s also anticipated the Leafs will stick with the Rielly-OEL pairing that played together for most of Thursday’s loss to St. Louis. Overall, as the team looks to liven things up offensively, Rielly-OEL gives them a dynamic offensive pairing to pair off with their top lines up front, leaving two other pairings — McCabe-Tanev and Benoit-Myers — that play a more simple, physical, shutdown brand of hockey.