Last time the Oilers met, Ryan Reaves was suspended for a brutal hit to the head against Darnell Nurse. We'll soon see if there's fireworks for the next Oilers vs. Leafs game.
One of the worst aspects of the Maple Leafs visiting the Oilers on a weekend, is the NHL schedules games for the Eastern Time Zone.
Tomorrow's game is an odd 5:00MT start, an adjustment the NHL only makes for the Leafs. McDavid pointed that out, and threw a bit of shade at the Leafs and the NHL by doing so.
Interestingly, McDavid seems to be keeping up to date with scouting reports, because he directly laid out the challenges the Leafs are facing right now - goal scoring. It should create a good test for the Oilers, looking to improve their defence.
Connor McDavid always seems to have a sort of disdain for playing against the Leafs, and all the media narratives and attention that comes with it. A few years ago, McDavid famously said one of the best parts about playing Toronto was leaving the city.
With McDavid playing his hometown team, as well as a number of other Oilers like Connor Brown, Zach Hyman, Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, Adam Henrique, and Darnell Nurse are all from the Toronto area. Players always get up for playing their hometown team.
With the attention of playing the Leafs and the potential for retaliation for the Ryan Reaves hit earlier this year, it should be a solid game tomorrow night.
POLL | ||
JANVIER 31 | 231 ANSWERS Connor McDavid takes a dig at Toronto, comments on Maple Leafs before matchup Do you think McDavid doesn't like playing the Maple Leafs? | ||
He doesn't like the attention | 61 | 26.4 % |
He doesn't care | 115 | 49.8 % |
He likes it | 55 | 23.8 % |
List of polls |