Toronto Maple Leafs Notes: Chasing the “X”, Brian Boyle Will Play
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the goal is simple on Thursday night: win and you’re in the playoffs.
“It’s time to close out. It’s time to punch our ticket,” said Brian Boyle following Thursday’s practice. Truthfully, it is that simple for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who control their own destiny tonight. The team is two points away from making the playoffs and can earn the coveted “x” beside their name for the first time in a 82 game regular season since 2003-04.
There are a couple of scenarios that could happen if the Leafs lose to the Lightning, which I’ll get into in a separate post, but the main focus for Thursday night is simple for the Leafs: win and you’re in.
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Boyle Returns
After leaving early during Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals with an upper-body injury, Boyle will be in the Leafs lineup on Thursday.
The ominous “upper-body injury” description usually doesn’t bode well for a player, but I don’t think it’s much of a surprise to see the towering 6-foot-6 centre back in Toronto’s lineup. He’s a veteran who understands the difference between playing injured and hurt, and he knows what it takes to win during this time of the year. In other words, if he’s medically cleared to play, I would expect Boyle to play through just about anything.
Stamkos Unlikely to Play this Season
It sounds like Steven Stamkos will not return to Tampa Bay’s lineup before the season ends.
Stamkos says it's "probably not looking that good" to play again before end of reg season, but will keep at it...
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 6, 2017
There was never a guarantee Stamkos would return before the regular season ended, but it has to be frustrating for him to essentially lose another season because of an injury.
On top of Stammer, Tyler Johnson will be a game-time decision on Thursday. Tampa Bay has been ravaged by injuries all season, so I guess his status is par for the course.
Next: Brian Boyle is One of the Greatest Deadline Acquisitions in Recent History
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs will beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night and clinch a playoff spot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.