When the Toronto Maple Leafs finally snapped their eight-game post-Olympic losing streak with a win against the Anaheim Ducks, their joy was short-lived. The Leafs could barely savor it before misfortune befell them again, as the team fell 3-2 in a shootout against the Buffalo Sabres. Will the Maple Leafs be able to make a comeback against the Minnesota Wild? It is only a matter of time before we find out, and here is everything fans need to know to brace for the showdown.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Minnesota Wild: How to Watch
The Maple Leafs had extinguished all luck after Auston Matthews returned to the NHL, riding the wave of his remarkable Olympic campaign at Milano Cortina. While Matthews captained Team USA to a cinematic gold medal finish, the Leafs struggled enormously after the Olympic break, with essentially all playoff hopes fading into oblivion.
The Wild, on the other hand, have been strong in the Central Division and are 20 points ahead of the Maple Leafs. While the Wild have dropped two straight, including a five-game point streak snapped by the New York Rangers on Saturday, they are sure-fire playoff contenders. In this crucial stretch of the season, when postseason hopes can be broken or forged, Minnesota is expected to go above and beyond to remain in contention.
The match will air on truTV and TNT in the United States and can alternatively be streamed on Max. Fans in Canada outside the Leafs’ broadcast area can watch the Leafs-Wild battle on NHL Centre Ice and stream it on Sportsnet+. SNO has fans inside the Leafs’ broadcast area covered.
Auston Matthews Season-Ending Injury Derails Toronto
Perhaps the biggest setback the Leafs have faced lately is the season-ending injury to captain Matthews. The standout forward sustained a knee injury from a knee-on-knee collision with Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Matthews exited the Leafs’ win against the Ducks prematurely, and it was eventually announced that Matthews has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion in his left knee.
In the aftermath of the incident, Gudas was suspended for five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Bobby Brink Sidelined for Wild
On the other side, the Wild played their last game against the New York Rangers without Bobby Brink, who has now missed two consecutive games. The 24-year-old sustained an upper-body injury during the Wild’s game against the Utah Mammoth on March 10 after a collision early in the contest. Brink returned to play that night and scored his first goal with the Wild, but the injury has kept him out of the lineup since.
The Maple Leafs have already suffered extensively from injuries this season, with Matthews’ injury luck particularly poor. It remains to be seen how the Leafs bounce back and recalibrate their efforts to compensate for the absence of their captain.
The puck drops on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
