Blues at Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews and the high-scoring Toronto Maple Leafs were finally cooled off, seeing their five-game losing streak come to an end in a 3-0 shutout loss to visiting Pittsburgh on Thursday. Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said there was a lesson to be learned from the defeat and hopes to see his team get back on track versus the visiting St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
"All victories, you've got to earn," Babcock said after Toronto was blanked for the first time this season. "They're a more veteran, polished, playoff team than we are. It showed." Matthews leads the league in goals (10) and points (16) but was denied in his bid to become the third player to start the season with eight straight multiple-point games. St. Louis has won only once and is mired in a three-game slide after dropping its second straight 3-2 decision at Montreal in the opener of a three-game road trip. It will mark a homecoming for Blues center Tyler Bozak, who signed a free-agent contract with St. Louis in July after spending nine seasons with Toronto.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FS Midwest (St. Louis), CBC, Sportsnet1 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE BLUES (1-3-2): While Toronto was still making its pitch to sign John Tavares as a free agent, Bozak joined St. Louis, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $15 million. “It was tough to go and there’s a lot good memories there, but I just realized it was a good fit for me and it would be a good place to be," said Bozak, who has only one goal and one assist on the season. The Blues have struggled mighitly at even strength, but they share the league lead with Toronto and Washington with nine power-play goals.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (6-2-0): Goaltender Frederik Andersen returned to the lineup Thursday after sitting out Monday's contest against Los Angeles due to a knee injury. Andersen, who is 4-4-2 with a 2.82 goals-against average versus the Blues, turned in a sparkling effort by stopping 36 of 37 shots before Pittsburgh scored a pair of empty-net goals. Matthews, who won 12 of 17 faceoffs against the Penguins, has been stymied in his career against St. Louis, failing to hit the the scoresheet in all four games.
OVERTIME
1. Despite Thursday's loss, Toronto's power play has a league-best 45 percent (9 of 20) success rate.
2. Blues F Vladimir Tarasenko has six goals in nine career games versus Toronto.
3. Toronto's Morgan Rielly, the NHL's top-scoring defenseman with 13 points, has only two in 10 games against the Blues.