<p>We&#8217;re still in October but Saturday&#8217;s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins is a true marquee, with both teams looking to overcome a poor stretch of play. <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-brad-marchand-response-games-parameters-leafs-bruins">Auston Matthews and Brad Marchand are expected to deliver responses</a>, both for their teams and on an individual level, as the Atlantic Division rivals have struggled throughout the week.</p>
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<p>Here&#8217;s what you need to know about Saturday&#8217;s Maple Leafs-Bruins contest:</p>
<h3>Anthony Stolarz is the projected Maple Leafs&#8217; starter</h3>
<p>Anthony Stolarz is expected to start for the Maple Leafs, after Joseph Woll made his season debut Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Stolarz has been one of the NHL&#8217;s best goalies through the opening weeks, posting a 3-2-0 record with a 1.83 GAA and .938 save percentage. The 30-year-old was expected to work in tandem with Woll, but he&#8217;s certainly appears to be pulling with the true No. 1 role, drawing several standing ovations on Monday for his performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning.</p>
<h3>Philippe Myers expected to make season debut as Toronto&#8217;s No. 6 defence spot remains open</h3>
<p>Toronto&#8217;s No. 6 defence spot remains wide open as Philippe Myers is expected to make his season debut. Craig Berube indicated via <a href="https://x.com/joshuakloke/status/1850207544003674468">travelling reporters</a> that there would be one change on defence and evidently, Myers will take Conor Timmins&#8217; place alongside Simon Benoit. Timmins outperformed Timothy Liljegren for the No. 6 spot and Liljegren has played in just one game this season — a 6-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings.</p>
<p>Liljegren and Timmins were working late after the optional morning skate, indicating that they were getting additional work in, while sitting out Saturday via <a href="https://x.com/joshuakloke/status/1850207544003674468">The Athletic&#8217;s Joshua Kloke</a>.</p>
<p>Myers closed the gap on Liljegren — and Timmins — during the preseason and it seems possible he could win the job, at least in the short-term with a stellar game against the Bruins. Liljegren is reportedly unhappy with his diminished playing time and could be on the trade block as his $3 million salary could be relieved elsewhere if he&#8217;s not factoring into the lineup regularly.</p>
<p>It&#8217;ll be compelling to see how Benoit-Myers functions, especially after Toronto shook up its top-four pairings, placing Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe with Chris Tanev.</p>
<h3>Max Pacioretty expected to return from lower-body injury</h3>
<p>Max Pacioretty is expected to return Saturday after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pacioretty was listed as day-to-day and missed Thursday&#8217;s game against the St. Louis Blues. The veteran forward is expected to replace Pontus Holmberg, who appears to be a healthy scratch as he received extra work at the morning skate via Kloke.</p>
<p>Pacioretty will likely be placed on the third line with John Tavares and Nick Robertson, although Berube bumped Steven Lorentz onto this unit at the start of Thursday&#8217;s game. The 35-year-old can play throughout the lineup and has recorded two goals in five games.</p>
<p>Connor Dewar and Jani Hakanpaa are on the team&#8217;s road trip, but cannot return for another three games, due to the provisions of long-term injured reserve.</p>
<h3>Maple Leafs&#8217; projected lineup:</h3>
<p><em>Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner</em></p>
<p><em>Bobby McMann-Max Domi-William Nylander</em></p>
<p><em>Max Pacioretty-John Tavares-Nick Robertson</em></p>
<p><em>Steven Lorentz-David Kampf-Ryan Reaves</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Oliver Ekman-Larsson- Morgan Rielly</em></p>
<p><em>Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev</em></p>
<p><em>Simon Benoit-Philippe Myers</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)</em></p>
<p><em>Joseph Woll</em></p>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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We're still in October but Saturday's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins is a true marquee, with both teams looking to overcome a poor stretch of play. <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/auston-matthews-brad-marchand-response-games-parameters-leafs-bruins">Auston Matthews and Brad Marchand are expected to deliver responses</a>, both for their teams and on an individual level, as the Atlantic Division rivals have struggled throughout the week.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
Here's what you need to know about Saturday's Maple Leafs-Bruins contest:
<h3>Anthony Stolarz is the projected Maple Leafs' starter</h3>
Anthony Stolarz is expected to start for the Maple Leafs, after Joseph Woll made his season debut Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Stolarz has been one of the NHL's best goalies through the opening weeks, posting a 3-2-0 record with a 1.83 GAA and .938 save percentage. The 30-year-old was expected to work in tandem with Woll, but he's certainly appears to be pulling with the true No. 1 role, drawing several standing ovations on Monday for his performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
<h3>Philippe Myers expected to make season debut as Toronto's No. 6 defence spot remains open</h3>
Toronto's No. 6 defence spot remains wide open as Philippe Myers is expected to make his season debut. Craig Berube indicated via <a href="https://x.com/joshuakloke/status/1850207544003674468">travelling reporters</a> that there would be one change on defence and evidently, Myers will take Conor Timmins' place alongside Simon Benoit. Timmins outperformed Timothy Liljegren for the No. 6 spot and Liljegren has played in just one game this season — a 6-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings.

Liljegren and Timmins were working late after the optional morning skate, indicating that they were getting additional work in, while sitting out Saturday via <a href="https://x.com/joshuakloke/status/1850207544003674468">The Athletic's Joshua Kloke</a>.

Myers closed the gap on Liljegren — and Timmins — during the preseason and it seems possible he could win the job, at least in the short-term with a stellar game against the Bruins. Liljegren is reportedly unhappy with his diminished playing time and could be on the trade block as his $3 million salary could be relieved elsewhere if he's not factoring into the lineup regularly.

It'll be compelling to see how Benoit-Myers functions, especially after Toronto shook up its top-four pairings, placing Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe with Chris Tanev.
<h3>Max Pacioretty expected to return from lower-body injury</h3>
Max Pacioretty is expected to return Saturday after suffering a lower-body injury Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pacioretty was listed as day-to-day and missed Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues. The veteran forward is expected to replace Pontus Holmberg, who appears to be a healthy scratch as he received extra work at the morning skate via Kloke.

Pacioretty will likely be placed on the third line with John Tavares and Nick Robertson, although Berube bumped Steven Lorentz onto this unit at the start of Thursday's game. The 35-year-old can play throughout the lineup and has recorded two goals in five games.

Connor Dewar and Jani Hakanpaa are on the team's road trip, but cannot return for another three games, due to the provisions of long-term injured reserve.
<h3>Maple Leafs' projected lineup:</h3>
<em>Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner</em>

<em>Bobby McMann-Max Domi-William Nylander</em>

<em>Max Pacioretty-John Tavares-Nick Robertson</em>

<em>Steven Lorentz-David Kampf-Ryan Reaves</em>

&nbsp;

<em>Oliver Ekman-Larsson- Morgan Rielly</em>

<em>Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev</em>

<em>Simon Benoit-Philippe Myers</em>

&nbsp;

<em>Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)</em>

<em>Joseph Woll</em>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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Maple Leafs-Bruins preview: Stolarz expected to start, Pacioretty to return, Myers projected to debut

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