Maple Leafs at Blackhawks
Auston Matthews seeks his third consecutive two-point performance to start the season when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the unbeaten Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday in a matchup of Original Six teams. The 2017 Calder Trophy winner has recorded half of Toronto's six goals this campaign after netting a tally and setting up another in Saturday's 5-3 home loss to Ottawa.
Mitch Marner and defenseman Morgan Rielly also recorded a goal and an assist in the setback for the Maple Leafs, who are beginning a four-game road trip. Chicago will be playing its home opener - and third game in four days to start the season - after posting overtime victories in Ottawa and St. Louis. Captain Jonathan Toews completed his sixth career hat trick 2:20 into the extra session on Saturday to give the Blackhawks a 5-4 triumph over the Blues. Four other players recorded two points apiece for Chicago - including Patrick Kane, who has scored a goal and set up another in each of his first two contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, TVA, NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (1-1-0): While Matthews leads the team with four points, Rielly is right behind him with a goal and two assists in the first two games. The 24-year-old blue-liner registered a career-high 52 points last season after recording more than 29 just once in his first four NHL campaigns (36 in 2015-16). Matthews has converted three of his seven shots this season for a 42.9 percent success rate.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (2-0-0): Toews has been even more accurate than Matthews, converting 57.1 percent of his shots (4-for-7) over his first two games. The 30-year-old center, who recorded a career-low 20 goals last season, is four tallies away from 300 in the NHL. Kane, meanwhile, has unleashed 13 shots but scored only two goals - with one being the overtime winner against the Senators in the season opener.
OVERTIME
1. The Blackhawks have scored nine goals in their first two games but are 0-for-7 on the power play.
2. Toronto C Patrick Marleau has notched an assist in each of the first two games this season and is four away from 600 for his career.
3. Chicago D Henri Jokiharju, a 19-year-old from Finland, recorded two assists on Saturday for his first points in the NHL.