Penguins at Maple Leafs
THE STORY: Two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference face off Saturday night when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Penguins have stunned pundits, winning eight of their first 12 games despite playing without superstar center Sidney Crosby (concussion) the entire way. He's expected back sometime next month, and he'll be returning to a club that has used balanced scoring and a commitment to defense to climb the Eastern Conference ladder. The Maple Leafs have been impressive in their own right, riding the explosive scoring of Phil Kessel to the top of the Northeast Division. They return home following a 2-2-0 road trip capped by a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers in their home opener.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, ROOT
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (8-2-2): The 2011-12 season has been a productive one so far for Penguins forward James Neal. Acquired late last season from the Dallas Stars, the Oshawa, Ontario native has nine goals through his first 12 games after tallying just once in 20 games with the Penguins at the end of the 2010-11 regular season. Neal will look to continue his hot start against a Toronto club he has torched for four goals in five career games.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (6-2-1): With James Reimer expected to miss at least one more game with whiplash and concussion-type symptoms, Jonas Gustavsson will likely get another start Saturday. Gustavsson looked shaky in the early going against the Rangers but settled down, keeping them off the scoresheet for most of the final two periods to atone for a rough outing last season in which he surrendered six goals in a lopsided loss at Madison Square Garden.
OVERTIME:
1. The clubs split four meetings last season, with the final two decided in extra time. They've each won five of the last 10 head-to-head encounters.
2. Kessel has been incredibly dangerous at the Air Canada Centre so far this season, scoring seven goals and adding five assists in five home games.