Jets at Maple Leafs
The race for the Calder Trophy sits squarely in focus Tuesday as a pair of game-changing rookies meet when Patrik Laine and the Winnipeg Jets visit Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 18-year-old Laine - named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday – and the 19-year-old Matthews combined for 56 goals and 45 assists this season.
Matthews and Laine, the top two picks in last summer’s NHL Draft, are tied for most goals among rookies with 28 apiece. Laine has been the hottest player in the league in recent days, leading the Jets to a 3-0-1 record with eight points (five goals, three assists) while notching his third hat trick of the season Feb. 14 against Dallas. Matthews has five points in his past four games, scoring twice Feb. 14 against the Islanders and recording two assists Saturday against Ottawa. Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri finished last week with four goals and two assists, earning the NHL's second star.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN3 (Winnipeg), TSN4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE JETS (28-29-5): Laine is the first player in NHL history to record three hat tricks before his 19th birthday, and the first to do it as a rookie since 1992-93. His surge of late has been needed by the Jets, who are 5-4-1 in their past 10 games to pull within one point of Calgary for the last Western Conference wild-card spot. Defenseman Jacob Trouba was suspended Monday for two games for an illegal check to the head on Ottawa’s Mark Stone on Sunday.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (27-20-11): Kadri is putting together a solid season in Matthews’ shadow, reaching a career high with 24 goals while his 46 points are four shy of his career best (50 in 2013-14). Matthews scored five goals in 10 February games, while 24 of his goals have come at even strength. Toronto, which is 4-4-2 in its past 10 games, is one point behind Florida for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot.
OVERTIME
1. Toronto blew a four-goal lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets on Oct. 19 in Winnipeg as Laine fueled the comeback with his first career hat trick.
2. The Maple Leafs' 4-0 victory Sunday at Carolina snapped a 1-3-1 skid in which Toronto scored two goals or fewer three times.
3. Winnipeg G Connor Hellebuyck won three of his past four starts, allowing nine goals in that stretch.