Canucks at Maple Leafs
The return of their coach has done little to change the fortunes of the Vancouver Canucks, who look to halt their six-game losing streak and post their 12th straight victory over Toronto when they visit the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Vancouver has yet to get in the win column since John Tortorella returned from his 15-day suspension, going 0-3-0 while scoring a total of three goals. The Canucks have been outscored 23-10 during their slide, the longest for the club since it dropped eight in a row in January 2009.
Toronto is the wrong team for Vancouver to be facing, as it has won six straight games at home. The Maple Leafs have turned up the offense at Air Canada Centre, scoring six goals in each of their last two home contests and outscoring their opponents 25-16 during the winning streak. Vancouver posted a 4-0 victory at home in the opener of the two-game season series against Toronto on Nov. 2, with Roberto Luongo making 21 saves for the second of his three shutouts this campaign.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, CBC
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (27-23-9): Vancouver once again will be without its captain as Henrik Sedin will sit for eighth time in 10 games due to a rib injury. Sedin also announced he will not represent Sweden at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. "This is a difficult decision, but ultimately the best decision for me personally, Team Sweden and the Vancouver Canucks" he said. While Sedin is out for Saturday's game, defenseman Dan Hamhuis expects to be in the lineup after missing two contests with an undisclosed injury.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (31-22-6): Toronto's home winning streak is its longest since the club captured the final nine games at Air Canada Centre in 2006-07. The Maple Leafs, who are 20-10-1 in their own building, only have nine home games remaining on their schedule. Phil Kessel has been kept off the scoresheet only twice in his last 14 games, collecting 10 goals and 15 assists in that span.
OVERTIME
1. Vancouver LW Daniel Sedin enters with a 10-game point streak against the Maple Leafs but has not scored a goal in his last 18 overall contests.
2. Luongo is 9-0-0 with a 1.91 goals-against average in his last 10 starts against Toronto.
3. The Canucks have not lost seven straight in regulation since the 1998-99 season.