Maple Leafs at Oilers
Victories have been few and far between this season for the disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs, who rapidly excused themselves from any potential playoff talk by losing 31 of their last 39 games (8-28-3). If one's searching for positives, the visiting Maple Leafs will carry a six-game winning streak against the Edmonton Oilers when the struggling clubs meet at Rexall Place on Monday. Phil Kessel scored in Toronto's 5-1 victory over Edmonton on Feb. 7 and also converted on a penalty shot for his team's lone goal in a 4-1 setback versus Vancouver on Saturday.
Like the Maple Leafs, the Oilers are hardly whistling any happy tunes as they saw their winless skid reach seven games (0-5-2) with a 5-4 shootout loss to Columbus on Friday. Edmonton's ray of light has been its blistering performance on its power play, which converted three times versus the Blue Jackets and is 13-for-35 in the last 12 games. "I think at the start of the year we were getting a lot of chances and we just couldn't score," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "... Now lately, we go out there with a lot of confidence, feeling like we're going to score."
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, RSW, RSNO
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (27-37-6): Peter Holland collected a goal and an assist in Toronto's first meeting with Edmonton, but has been held off the scoresheet in two straight contests following a four-game point streak. James Reimer improved to 4-0-0 with a 1.74 goals-against average versus Edmonton after making 31 saves in the first meeting. Reimer has since dropped four straight decisions and could sit in favor of Jonathan Bernier, who owns a 3-0-0 career mark against the Oilers.
ABOUT THE OILERS (18-39-12): Coach Todd Nelson confirmed that Taylor Hall will participate in Monday's morning skate as he attempts to work his way back from a leg injury. When asked if Hall could step right in on one of the team's red-hot power-play units, Nelson quickly applied the brakes. "A lot of things can happen over the next few games with personnel, guys get injured and what-not," Nelson said. "I like where (Nugent-Hopkins) is right now and we'll try to make it fit, if everybody is healthy, with Taylor on one of the two units."
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton D Nikita Nikitin is questionable to return on Monday after missing 20 games with a shoulder injury.
2. Toronto has dropped the first two contests of its three-game trek and is 1-17-2 in its last 20 contests on the road.
3. Oilers RW Nail Yakupov has recorded two goals and an assist on his three-game point streak.