Maple Leafs at Lightning
The Toronto Maple Leafs have faded into a logjam of teams all fighting for playoff position after a 2-5-0 swoon and look to change their fortunes with a big confidence boost when they visit the league-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The Leafs have struggled at home, but can win their fourth straight on the road and outshot the Lightning 49-21 despite losing 4-1 at Tampa Bay on Dec. 13.
“We have not been good enough,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock told reporters after a 6-3 loss to Colorado on Monday. “The league is going by, and everyone is getting better and we have hit a lull so we have to get it turned. Not mentally sharp, not physically engaged enough either. We only got ourselves to blame. Myself as the head coach, I’m responsible. We didn’t play well enough. We didn’t play hard enough.” The Maple Leafs got No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen back in the lineup after a three-week injury absence Monday, but his team did not play well in front of him as the Avalanche totaled 38 shots. It won’t be any easier against the Lightning, who lead the league in scoring and showed they can play solid defense by killing off six penalties Tuesday to earn a 2-0 victory at Dallas for their 19th win in 22 games (19-2-1). “We made it a little bit hard for ourselves with all the penalties but we did a great job killing them off,” Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman told reporters. “Overall, I think defensively, even though they had a lot of zone time, we didn’t give up a tremendous amount of chances.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TVA, Sportsnet Ontario (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (28-15-2): While point leader Mitch Marner (59) continues to post impressive numbers with goals in three straight games, many of the other top offensive threats have cooled off. John Tavares (team-high 29 goals) has been kept off the scoresheet in three of the last four games and fellow center Austin Matthews managed one goal in the past 10 games despite recording nine points in that span. Toronto is also looking for more from speedy forward William Nylander, who has one goal and two assists while a minus-6 in 17 games since holding out and signing a six-year, $45 million contract.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (36-9-2): All-Star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 7-0-0 with a .975 save percentage and three shutouts after losses this season, following a 35-save performance at Dallas. “You know he’s going to bounce back after an effort that isn’t acceptable, up to his standards and his mind,” captain Steven Stamkos said of Vasilevskiy. “He always bounces back and finds a way. He was First Star (of the game) for a reason.” Right wing Nikita Kucherov, the league leader with 75 points, has been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the third time this season.
OVERTIME
1. Stamkos has registered a goal and five assists during a four-game point streak
2. Toronto C Nazem Kadri has only three assists in the last 10 games and F Patrick Marleau managed two goals in the past 14 outings.
3. Lightning LW Ondrej Palat has scored three goals and set up another in the past four contests.