Devils at Maple Leafs
Mike Babcock is in his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he will reach a major milestone Thursday as he becomes the 25th man in NHL history to coach in 1,000 games. It will mark only the 50th game for Babcock as coach of the Maple Leafs, who will host a surging New Jersey Devils squad that has won five of its last six.
“You’re trying to be the best. I want to be the best coach in my generation," Babcock told reporters while noting that Chicago's Joel Quenneville and Los Angeles' Darryl Sutter are making his goal a daunting challenge. Toronto snapped a four-game skid (0-2-2) and won for only the second time in 11 games (2-7-2) with a 4-3 overtime victory at Boston on Tuesday. The Devils held off the New York Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday to inch closer to second place in the Metropolitan Division. "I think it's easier to not standings-watch when you are winning," New Jersey All-Star goaltender Cory Schneider said. "When you are losing, you are checking to see how much damage is being done. I think we know the situation."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), Sportsnet Ontario (Toronto)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (26-20-5): Rookie Joseph Blandisi made his second goal memorable, beating Henrik Lundqvist just over a minute after the Rangers had forged ahead to set off a boisterous celebration during which he repeatedly pounded the glass. "It was a really exciting game to play in. The atmosphere was unbelievable and I think we were pretty excited to get the two points," Blandisi said. "It was an unbelievable feeling. It definitely beats my first (goal)." Defenseman John Moore (lower body) is expected back in the line following a three-game absence.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (18-22-9): Toronto had tallied only 11 times in its previous 10 games before erasing a two-goal, third-period deficit in Boston on goals by leading scorer Leo Komarov and Nazem Kadri. ".. That was a character win - being able to come back to fight right through it," Kadri told reporters. "It feels great. That's the way we wanted to start after the All-Star break, and I feel like everyone contributed." It was only the second tally in 17 games for Komarov while PA Parenteau ended a 10-game drought by delivering the winning goal in overtime.
OVERTIME
1. Schneider never has lost to the Maple Leafs in regulation, posting a 4-0-3 record and 1.64 goals-against average.
2. Parenteau's goal was Toronto's first in 29 chances with the man advantage.
3. New Jersey has gone 5-for-10 on the power play over its last four games after failing on the previous 19 opportunities.