Senators at Maple Leafs
Ottawa's top line of Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone looks to build off its big opening night when the Senators visit Toronto on Saturday in the Maple Leafs' home opener. Turris scored twice with Hoffman and Stone assisting on each goal in the Senators' 3-1 victory in Buffalo on Thursday, and coach Dave Cameron was thrilled with the trio's complete game.
"A lot of times the top line gets a lot of accolades when they score, which they did (Thursday), but they were as good on the other side of the puck, and that's a coach's delight," Cameron told reporters. The Mike Babcock era in Toronto is off to a slow start as the Maple Leafs lost their second straight to open the season, 4-0 to Detroit on Friday. Babcock was given a standing ovation by the Red Wings fans after coaching Detroit for 10 seasons and winning the 2008 Stanley Cup, with more love expected Saturday from the Maple Leafs faithful. Toronto has scored only once this season after recording the seventh-fewest goals total in 2014-15.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC
ABOUT THE SENATORS (1-0-0): Clarke MacArthur played 12 minutes, 11 seconds on Thursday after suffering what he called a minor concussion in the preseason finale against Montreal on Oct. 3. “I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but you don’t want to miss out right out of the gates,'' MacArthur told the Ottawa Citizen. "You work hard in the summer, you feel good. You want to hit the ground running. You don’t want to be sitting around, watching the boys playing. Especially the first weekend, that’s fun.” Craig Anderson is expected to start again in goal with Andrew Hammond out with a groin injury.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (0-2-0): Babcock's greatest challenge could be trying to keep a fan base which hasn't celebrated a Stanley Cup since 1967 patient.
“It’s the fear of the unknown, and you don’t know how it’s going to go,'' Babcock told reporters. "You just focus on the process and trying to get better, and that’s what we’re doing with Toronto.” James Reimer likely will make his first start after a relief appearance Friday was prompted by Jonathan Bernier yielding three goals on nine shots.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto D Morgan Rielly and C Nazem Kadri are each minus-4.
2. Ottawa plays its home opener Sunday versus Montreal, which eliminated the Senators 4-2 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season.
3. Each team gained six points in five meetings last season, with the Maple Leafs winning once each in regulation, overtime and via shootout. Meanwhile, Ottawa is 0-3-3 in its last six games in Toronto.