Maple Leafs at Canucks
THE STORY: The Vancouver Canucks will look to continue their recent dominance over Toronto when they host the Maple Leafs on Saturday. This is the second and final meeting of the season between the two clubs. Vancouver took the first meeting 5-3 on Dec. 17 in Toronto. Five different players scored for the Canucks and Tyler Bozak recorded three points for the Maple Leafs. Vancouver has won nine consecutive games over Toronto.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (29-23-6): This is the finale of a three-game road trip for Toronto through western Canada. The Maple Leafs had lost four in a row before winning 4-3 in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Thursday that Maple Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke had received a trade offer for forward Mikhail Grabovski. An unnamed team reportedly offered Burke a second-round draft pick and a high-profile prospect in exchange for the center. The 28-year-old speedster has 18 goals and 21 assists this season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (36-15-6): The Canucks enter Saturday’s contest on an 8-0-3 run and are 12-2-4 since Jan. 2. Roberto Luongo has posted a record of 6-0-3 in his last nine starts, sparking rumors that backup goalie Cory Schneider may be dealt before the trade deadline. “For me, I just don’t think about it. I’ve got a job to do here and if I don’t do it, that probably eliminates possibilities of anything ever happening anyways. I enjoy it here. I’m not looking to get moved and I’m not asking for a trade by any means. If it’s a hockey decision, then it’s out of my control,” Schneider said. He ranks sixth in the league in save percentage (.928) and has posted a record of 12-5-0 this season.
OVERTIME:
1. All-Star Joffrey Lupul has three goals and six assists in his last seven games for Toronto.
2. Canucks forward David Booth has scored in three consecutive games and is riding a four-game point streak.
3. Grabovski has also been linked to a potential trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that could land forward Rick Nash in Toronto. Nash was born in nearby Brampton, Ontario.