Canucks at Maple Leafs
Nazem Kadri and the Toronto Maple Leafs had a hair-raising experience just two seconds into their last outing, as the 27-year-old inadvertently trimmed Joe Thornton's considerable beard and fell an assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. The Maple Leafs look to build off the close shave of a shootout win as they play the third contest of their six-game homestand versus the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
"I thought I was a hockey player, not a barber," Kadri said after scoring a goal for the first time since Nov. 30 that ended a 12-game point drought in Toronto's 3-2 win over San Jose on Thursday. Fellow forward Auston Matthews also reclaimed sole possession of the team lead in goals (18) by scoring for the fourth time in five contests for the Maple Leafs, who own a 12-7-1 mark against the Western Conference this season and are 9-5-0 versus the Pacific Division. Vancouver made a dent in both of those records with a 2-1 home triumph over Toronto on Dec. 2, with Markus Granlund and Alex Edler scoring in the first period before Jacob Markstrom held the fort with 35 saves. The 6-foot-6 Swedish goaltender aims to stand tall for the scuffling Canucks, who dropped a 5-0 decision to Anaheim on Tuesday to fall to 2-9-1 in their last 12 games overall.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC, Sportsnet
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (16-19-5): The injury-depleted Canucks could receive a boost this weekend with the potential return of top-line forward Sven Baertschi, who sustained a broken jaw after a puck caromed off the glass on a clearing attempt on Dec. 9. The 25-year-old Switzerland native recorded eight goals and 10 assists this season for Vancouver, which can use a jolt for its 25th-ranked offense. Captain Henrik Sedin has been held off the scoresheet in four straight contests after erupting for nine assists during his previous six games.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (24-16-2): Defenseman Travis Dermott was over the moon on Friday upon receiving a call from the Maple Leafs, telling him that he was being recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. "It’s what I've been looking for my whole childhood, not even since I've been with the organization," the 21-year-old Ontario native told TSN. "So it's a big opportunity for me and I'm just happy they trust me enough to bring me up for this." Vancouver native Morgan Rielly has five assists over his last five games overall and also set up James van Riemsdyk's third-period goal in last month's encounter in British Columbia.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto C Mitch Marner has 11 assists in his last 13 games.
2. Vancouver owns a 9-7-2 mark on the road as it opens its seven-game trek on Saturday.
3. Maple Leafs RW William Nylander has collected 10 of his 21 assists versus Pacific Division foes.