I'm excited to join the group. It's never fun to be on the sideline and watching your teammates battling. They've been playing some super good hockey, and I feel extremely excited to join the group and be able to come back to battle with them.
Benoit was absent from the Leafs lineup on Saturday as he flew home to attend a funeral. He re-joined the team on Monday for practice with head coach Craig Berube confirming that he would be back in the lineup against the Panthers. Dakota Mermis, meanwhile, will be the one coming out as the Leafs look to start stringing some wins together amidst a slow start to the season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally have some good news on the injury front, as forward Scott Laughton returns to the lineup after missing six games with an upper-body injury sustained against the Boston Bruins on November 8. It's a much-needed boost for a lineup still juggling key absences and looking to build momentum after a gutsy 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
With two on and two out in Game 5's fourth inning, Tommy Edman swung underneath a Trey Yesavage slider that stayed above the zone and dropped his head in disgust. His batted ball sailed high and fell harmlessly into the glove of Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez, halting an early threat against a budding ace who was just beginning to find his rhythm.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider made several moves to his starting lineup for Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Infielder Bo Bichette, who made his first game appearance in seven weeks in Toronto's 11-4 Game 1 win, was available off the bench. Isiah Kiner-Falefa got the start at second base with outfielders Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger drawing in for Davis Schneider and Myles Straw.