Game 25 has the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into a tricky showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that’s been wildly inconsistent but still dangerous every single night. As Toronto continues scraping for ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race, Zack breaks down the latest lineup decisions — from how the top six looks with Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, John Tavares, Nic Robertson and Easton Cowan, to whether Max Domi or Dakota Joshua might be rotating in and out as Sheldon Keefe searches for stability.

We dig into what the bottom six could look like with Calle Järnkrok, Scott Laughton, and Matias Maccelli still fighting for defined roles, plus how the blue line pairs out with Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson logging heavy minutes, Jake McCabe settling in next to Simon Benoit, and where Timothy Liljegren fits. From the Leafs’ power play drought to Pittsburgh’s aggressive forecheck, it’s a full preview of what Toronto must clean up to come out on top.

And as always, we wrap with two best bets for tonight’s matchup — presented by bet365 — including one player prop and one game line that stand out heading into puck drop.

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