Leafs are playing some really bizarre start times this weekend
The Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled for some really bizarre start times this weekend as they play a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden.
Toronto’s matchup against Detroit is set for 2 pm ET on Friday, and they’ll be taking on the Minnesota Wild for likely the earliest Leafs game ever when the puck drops Sunday at 8 am ET. With the six-hour time difference — and nine hours from the Pacific Time Zone — it’s a definite adjustment to players during the middle of the regular season.
But after arriving overnight on Tuesday, the team seems to be taking the odd schedule in stride, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe.
“It seems to me the group has had a good night of sleep. That goes a long way. We certainly got a lot more out of them today than I felt we could yesterday in terms of meetings and our time spent on the ice. That is positive,” Keefe told reporters today.
“I woke up this morning to check the scores, and there were games still going on. I am not used to that. It is strange. It breaks up the rhythm you have gotten into with the league basically working every second day. We are trying to use that to our advantage coming over here. It has its challenges, of course, because of the time changes and managing all of that.”
It’s a big moment for Toronto’s leading scorer William Nylander, who will finally get a chance to play in front of his grandma as an NHL player for the first time. He’s one of five Swedes on the team, along with Timothy Liljegren, Calle Jarnkrok, William Lagesson, and John Klingberg.
And while the team will get a bit of sightseeing in while on the other side of the pond, Keefe added that it’s a crucial opportunity for the 8-5-2 Leafs to try to build off their two-game win streak.
“We want to enjoy the rest of today and tomorrow but not lose sight of what we are here for,” Keefe added. “These are regular-season games — important games and important points — so let’s make sure we keep that in mind with all that we are doing.”
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