Maple Leafs at Ducks
The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading in right direction with two straight victories and points in 16 of their last 19 contests (13-3-3). The Maple Leafs hope their good fortune accompanies them on a five-game road trip, which begins Monday with the opener of a three-game trek through California against the Anaheim Ducks. Former Duck Joffrey Lupul scored 2:21 into overtime as Toronto posted a 3-2 triumph over Philadelphia on Saturday.
Another familiar face will return to Honda Center as Toronto coach Randy Carlyle makes his first visit since being fired by Anaheim in 2011. Carlyle was behind the bench when the Ducks skated to their Stanley Cup title in 2007. "Toronto is a great team," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's website. "They have the highest-scoring line in the league, and they can skate. And, it’s Randy’s first trip back. They’re going to be all pumped up. It should be an exciting game, and it should be a really tough game."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Leafs TV (Toronto), KDOC (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (34-23-8): Toronto has watched a third-period lead evaporate in four of its last five contests. "We were able to regroup and that's a positive for us because a lot of times when the game gets away from you, your team goes and continues to spiral," Carlyle told TSN. "Well, we didn't spiral in my mind." Phil Kessel was held off the scoresheet on Saturday but registered the first of his two hat tricks this season in the Maple Leafs' 4-2 home triumph over the Ducks on Oct. 22.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (43-14-7): Corey Perry scored twice for the second time in three games on Friday, but Anaheim suffered its second straight shootout loss with a 3-2 setback to Pittsburgh. Jonas Hiller made 15 saves in that contest and turned aside 19 shots against Toronto to drop to 0-4-0 with a gaudy 4.84 goals-against average in his career versus the Maple Leafs. Mathieu Perreault, who scored in the teams' previous meeting, returned to practice on Sunday after missing three games with an upper-body injury but is not expected to play against Toronto.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim has dropped seven of its last 11 home games (4-5-2) after opening the season with a blistering 20-0-2 mark at Honda Center.
2. Despite residing in the top 10 of the league in power-play efficiency, Toronto has failed to produce with the man advantage in its last eight games (0-for-18).
3. The Maple Leafs have won four in a row against the Ducks.