Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

Detroit Red Wings fans will be tuning into tonight’s game with Toronto to see if their team can keep their playoff hopes alive. But they could end up seeing Auston Matthews accomplish an NHL feat that hasn’t been seen in 31 years.

Matthews needs two goals to become the NHL’s first 70-goal scorer since the 1992-93 season when Teemu Selanne (Winnipeg) and Alexander Mogilny (Buffalo) both scored 76 goals. Mogilny did it in 77 games and Selanne, then a rookie, played all 84 of his team’s games.

Matthews owns a seven-game scoring streak during which he has scored nine goals to get to 68. The Maple Leafs are motivated to help him to arrive at 70 in this game because they want to rest some of the Toronto veterans in their final two games before the playoffs begin. A motivated Toronto squad is not good news for the Red Wings who need to win this game to have a fair chance to qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

The Red Wings have severely damaged their odds by losing 2-1 to Washington on Tuesday and falling 6-5 in overtime to Pittsburgh this week.

Leafs Auston Matthews scores his 68th goal of the season.

He's now on pace to record the 15th 70-goal season in NHL history pic.twitter.com/ej7mnSREGS

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 12, 2024

Game Time

Thursday: Detroit at Toronto

Where: Scotiabank Arena

TV/RADIO: Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Maple Leafs Preview

Max Domi missed yesterday’s practice, but he did participate in this morning’s optional skate. He’s officially day to day. Defenseman Timothy Liljegren (upper body) is expected to play today…Matthews has 18 multiple-goal games this season, including six hat tricks… Earlier this season, goalie Ilya Samsonov was struggling to the point that the Maple Leafs sent him to the minors. He cleared waivers to arrive there. Samsonov worked on his game, came back to the team, and he’s 18-4-1 in his last 23 decisions…The Maple Leafs are lined up to play the Florida Panthers in the first round. But the Panthers are only one point behind the Boston Bruins for the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins do have a game in hand.

Red Wings Preview

The Red Wings are going with James Reimer in net. Reimer has won three of his last four starts and he beat Toronto Jan. 14, giving up only two goals on 30 shots. . .  Other than in net, same lineup as last game. Forwards Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) and Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) are still out…Alex DeBrincat has scored one goal in his past 20 games…Lucas Raymond has five goals and three assists for eight points in his past five games.