Toronto Maple Leafs vs San Jose Sharks Game 30 Preview: Lineups, Goaltenders, & Best Bets

Tonight’s Maple Leafs Game 30 Preview breaks down everything you need to know as Toronto hosts the San Jose Sharks — from lineup changes to power-play concerns to the latest on John Tavares, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Dakota Joshua, Easton Cowan, and Nic Robertson. We dig into why Craig Berube reshuffled his top nine, how Nylander’s move to a third-line look could spark his game, why Cowan continues to earn trust, and what Robertson’s return means for Toronto’s scoring depth. We also examine Toronto’s blue line (McCabe–Stecher’s breakout performance, Rielly–Liljegren stability, and the ongoing Philipe Myers vs. Henry Thrun debate), plus updates on Chris Tanev, Joseph Woll, and Anthony Stolarz.

We close the preview with a tease of tonight’s Best Bet — no spoilers — and what trends point strongly toward it.

Chapters:
00:00 Leafs trending upward, identity forming
00:27 Compete level, detail & defensive improvements
00:54 Joseph Woll’s stabilizing impact
01:25 Dennis Hildeby’s growth & team structure tightening
01:47 Daily Faceoff news rundown
02:07 Max Domi debate — top-six fit?
03:01 Nic Robertson returns to the lineup
03:29 Why William Nylander was bumped to Line 3
04:10 Berube–Nylander dynamic explained
04:31 How Nylander–Roy–Joshua could work
05:13 Joshua’s physicality & scoring touch
06:16 Why this line may spark Nylander
07:11 Cowan’s development & usage
08:21 Why Cowan stays in the top six
09:15 Leadership support system around Cowan
10:13 Maturity, learning curve, and earning minutes
11:07 Why Cowan still deserves top-six trust
11:35 Robertson’s chance to reset and make an impact
12:15 Bottom-six combinations
12:38 Morgan Rielly illness update
12:58 McCabe–Stecher’s best performance of the season
13:39 The Thrun vs. Myers dilemma
15:02 Why Thrun deserves a look
16:47 Power-play struggles & needed adjustments
17:10 PP1 struggles: Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Rielly
18:00 Hildeby starts again
18:19 Chris Tanev update
18:40 Joseph Woll injury update & optimism
19:26 Betting board overview (no best-bet reveal)
20:10 Total goals trends & Leafs defensive improvements
20:36 Player prop categories discussed (no reveal)
21:00 The Nylander scoring debate
21:48 Why certain props are tempting — but not spoiled
22:15 Deployment & usage notes
22:33 Best Bet tease (not revealed)
22:59 Like, subscribe & Christmas special tease
23:24 HUGE After Dark guest tease
23:55 Subscribe for full Leafs coverage

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