Coyotes at Maple Leafs
Tension is growing in the Ontario capital as the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt to end their recent struggles against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. Toronto looked listless in a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, slipping to 3-8-2 in its last 13 games as the team plummets to the wrong side of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Things won't get much easier Thursday, despite the Coyotes coming off defeats to the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
With both teams coming off consecutive 3-1 setbacks, a fast start in Thursday's encounter will be critical. Toronto looked to be turning the corner after cruising to a 7-3 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks, but generated precious little offense against Pittsburgh and Florida. The Coyotes looked confounded against the Hurricanes and Canadiens after scoring nine total goals in impressive victories over the Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSAZ (Phoenix), TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (18-10-5): Phoenix netminder Mike Smith has an interesting project this season - writing a daily diary for the Arizona Republic. His most recent entry was a particularly personal one, with the Coyotes preparing to play the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators - two teams close to his home in Kingston, Ont. "It's a little bit of added motivation to play well," he wrote. "You want to play well when your friends and family are there because otherwise, you see them after and they're looking at you like you have three heads."
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (17-16-3): If Toronto coach Randy Carlyle has a diary, his players probably won't want to read his latest chapter. Carlyle juggled lines, benched players for stretches and chewed out his charges throughout the loss to the Panthers, then intimated to reporters afterward that his team was in a legitimate tailspin. "Is it a crisis?" he said. "It's a crisis that we haven't won enough games. That's the way I would deem it. The coaching staff is frustrated, the players are frustrated, I'm sure management is frustrated."
OVERTIME
1. Toronto hasn't beaten Phoenix since Oct. 23, 2003, losing six straight meetings.
2. Smith is 3-0-1 with a 2.40 goals-against average in four career games against the Maple Leafs.
3. Phoenix has won seven of its last 10 games against Eastern Conference foes.