GDT: Leafs @ Rangers 7PM TSN

[Budsfan]

Toronto Maple Leafs at New York Rangers: Friday NHL preview

Auston Matthews and the Leafs face NHL’s highest-scoring team and hottest player: ex-Leaf Michael Grabner.

By Mark ZwolinskiSports reporter
Thu., Jan. 12, 2017

https://www.thestar.com/sports/leaf...s-at-new-york-rangers-friday-nhl-preview.html

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

FACEOFF: 7 p.m.

TV: TSN

RADIO: TSN 1050

KEY PLAYERS

Grabner/Matthews

Rangers winger Michael Grabner, who played for the Leafs last season, is on a hot streak. He was the NHL’s first star last week, with five goals — including three in a win over the first-place Blue Jackets — and two assists. It was his second hat trick of the season, fourth of his career, and he has a team-leading 19 goals on a line with J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes. The Rangers lead the NHL with 146 goals and have scored five or more 15 times, so all-star rookie Auston Matthews and the rest of the Leafs will have their hands full at MSG.

NEED TO KNOW

Classy defenceman Ryan McDonagh — tied for first in scoring by D-men in the Metropolitan Division with 25 points — was named to his second consecutive all-star game. He ranks third among all NHL defencemen with 15 even-strength assists. . . . The Rangers have five players with at least 30 points: Miller, Hayes, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello. . . . The Leafs’ league-leading corps of rookies will face Jimmy Vesey, ninth in scoring by first-year players with 11 goals and nine assists. . . . The Rangers have 28 wins, second-most in franchise history at the 41-game mark. . . . They rank fourth on the power play, ninth in penalty killing.

UP NEXT

Saturday at Ottawa, 7 p.m

Click to read more...

 

[Budsfan]

 

[teeder333*]

Grabner, talk about a turnaround, we just gave the guy away . Ouch.

 

[ACC1224]

Don't the Leafs usually do well at MSG?

 

[Rayzorexe]

Finally a game!

Watching other teams highlights without the Leafs in the mix these last 5 days gets boring fast.

 

[Rayzorexe]

Grabner, talk about a turnaround, we just gave the guy away . Ouch.

Look at this shooting percentage though.

22.1% vs 7.8% last year with the Leafs.

 

[Warden of the North]

Guaranteed Grabner goal tonight

Anyways, hopefully Matthews lights up Lundqvist

 

[Wafflewhipper]

This is a huge test for our defense. The forwards can't be playing one dimensional Jvr.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Grabner, talk about a turnaround, we just gave the guy away . Ouch.

What? LOL. Leafs couldn't care less. The only thing he would be doing here is taking time away from a rookie. Who the hell cares about him? Come on. Good for him, but I really do not wish he was still here.

 

[Budsfan]

Leafs return from break ready for Rangers
By Mark Masters

http://www.tsn.ca/leafs-return-from-break-ready-for-rangers-1.649248

The Maple Leafs' bye week ended on Thursday with a practice at the Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center.

Curtis McElhinney skated with his new team for the first time on Thursday and will make his Toronto debut either Friday against the Rangers or Saturday in Ottawa, Mike Babcock confirmed. The Leafs head coach noted that his team needs to be able to get points from the nine remaining back-to-back situations this season and they believe the 33-year-old can help in that regard. "It's exciting," McElhinney said. "It's a big hockey market. It's a bit different than Columbus, but it's a big challenge and I'm looking forward to it." If McElhinney does face the Rangers on Friday he will be familiar with the opposition. The London, Ont. native's last game with Columbus was Saturday against the Rangers. He allowed five goals on 34 shots in a losing cause.

Nikita Soshnikov, who missed Saturday's game with an upper-body injury, was back in his regular spot on the fourth line at Thursday's practice. Martin Marincin, out since Dec. 10 with a lower-body injury, skated with the team, but wore a red non-contact jersey and only took part in some of the drills.

* Lines at Thursday's Leafs practice:

Hyman-Matthews-Brown
JVR-Bozak-Marner
Komarov-Kadri-Nylander
Martin-Gauthier-Soshnikov
Leivo

Rielly-Zaitsev
Gardiner-Carrick
Hunwick-Polak
Marincin

Andersen
McElhinney

 

[Budsfan]

 

[Warden of the North]

Honestly, Grabner was a great tank driver. No Leafs fan should be angry at him.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[1specter]

who is GK?

 

[The Missing Piece]

who is GK?

GoalKeeper

 

[Budsfan]

who is GK?

Goal Keeper.

 

[Irishguy42]

who is GK?

GoalKeeper

 

[Snip Genos]

Feels good to be a game day finally I hope all our players are extra hungry for a win tonight. I wouldn't be surprised to see a high scoring game with both teams coming off breaks so it should be entertaining and I'm sure with some teaching moments on defensive plays in there too.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I imagine they'll be a little rusty tonight

 

[Suntouchable13]

I imagine they'll be a little rusty tonight

Somebody said that both teams had a bye week this week. Rust a non-factor.

 

[al secord]

I imagine they'll be a little rusty tonight

So will the Rangers. They'll have added motivation from their tribute tonight. Not to mention, they shelled McElhinney recently.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Would you sign Grabner for 5x5 though?

 

[zeke]

CF% = zone, score, and venue adjusted corsi relative percentage (from Corsica Hockey)
Number in brackets = CF% Relative to Team


Line 1

C Bozak (30): 36gms, 9gls, 24pts, 16:27 (21gls/55pts), 51.3cf% (-0.4)
C Stepan (26): 42gms, 9gls, 31pts, 18:20 (18gls/61pts), 48.7cf% (+0.4)

W VanRyk (27): 39gms, 14gls, 33pts, 15:54 (29gls/69pts), 51.2cf% (-0.3)
W Kreider (25): 36gms, 16gls, 30pts, 16:57 (36gls/68pts), 53.7cf% (+7.1)

W Marner (19): 39gms, 10gls, 32pts, 17:07 (21gls/67pts), 50.2cf% (-1.9)
W Zuccarello (29): 42gms, 8gls, 30pts, 18:46 (16gls/59pts), 52.0cf% (+5.1)

Line 2

C Matthews (19): 39gms, 21gls, 35pts, 17:51 (44gls/74pts), 53.6cf% (+3.0)
C Hayes (24): 42gms, 13gls, 31pts, 16:54 (25gls/61pts), 44.9cf% (-5.0)

W Hyman (24): 39gms, 5gls, 18pts, 16:51 (10gls/38pts), 53.6cf% (+3.1)
W Miller (23): 42gms, 12gls, 30pts, 16:03 (23gls/59pts), 45.9cf% (-3.7)

W Brown (22): 39gms, 9gls, 18pts, 15:22 (19gls/38pts), 51.7cf% (+0.4)
W Grabner (29): 41gms, 19gls, 27pts, 13:36 (38gls/54pts), 44.9cf% (-4.7)

Line 3

C Kadri (26): 39gms, 16gls, 25pts, 16:29 (34gls/53pts), 53.3cf% (+2.6)
C Lindberg (25): 27gms, 1gls, 7pts, 11:51 (3gls/21pts), 47.5cf% (-1.9)

W Nylander (20): 38gms, 8gls, 26pts, 16:13 (17gls/56pts), 53.5cf% (+3.0)
W Nash (32): 30gms, 13gls, 20pts, 16:05 (36gls/55pts), 44.7cf% (-3.0)

W Komarov (29): 39gms, 7gls, 14pts, 17:09 (15gls/29pts), 51.5cf% (+0.0)
W Buchnevich (21): 10gms, 4gls, 8pts, 15:05 (33gls/66pts), 56.2cf% (+7.2)

Line 4

C Gauthier (21): 9gms, 2gls, 3pts, 8:53 (18gls/27pts), 45.1cf% (-5.5)
C Hrivik (25): 16gms, 0gls, 2pts, 10:25 (0gls/10pts), 56.8cf% (+6.7)

W Soshnikov (23): 29gms, 1gls, 4pts, 10:41 (3gls/11pts), 47.3cf% (-4.1)
W Vesey (23): 41gms, 11gls, 19pts, 14:16 (22gls/38pts), 47.1cf% (-1.8)

W Martin (27): 39gms, 2gls, 4pts, 8:44 (4gls/8pts), 48.2cf% (-3.7)
W Pirri (25): 40gms, 6gls, 14pts, 12:26 (12gls/29pts), 49.3cf% (+0.7)



Pair 1

D Rielly (22): 39gms, 1gls, 17pts, 22:42 (2gls/36pts), 53.2cf% (+2.5)
D McDonagh (27): 41gms, 2gls, 25pts, 24:12 (4gls/50pts), 47.3cf% (-1.4)

D Zaitsev (25): 39gms, 1gls, 16pts, 22:20 (2gls/34pts), 51.9cf% (+0.6)
D Skjei (22): 41gms, 1gls, 17pts, 16:47 (2gls/34pts), 49.5cf% (+1.9)

Pair 2

D Gardiner (26): 39gms, 6gls, 21pts, 20:34 (13gls/44pts), 54.2cf% (+3.7)
D Holden (29): 42gms, 8gls, 22pts, 20:13 (16gls/43pts), 49.4cf% (+1.3)

D Carrick (22): 35gms, 1gls, 5pts, 16:44 (2gls/12pts), 54.1cf% (+2.4)
D Girardi (32): 38gms, 3gls, 8pts, 18:55 (7gls/17pts), 45.0cf% (-5.3)

Pair 3

D Hunwick (31): 31gms, 0gls, 8pts, 17:57 (0gls/21pts), 46.3cf% (-6.8)
D Klein (32): 38gms, 0gls, 10pts, 17:35 (0gls/22pts), 49.9cf% (+2.0)

D Polak (30): 34gms, 2gls, 4pts, 17:18 (5gls/10pts), 46.1cf% (-6.5)
D Clendening (24): 11gms, 1gls, 5pts, 15:44 (8gls/37pts), 57.1cf% (+6.4)



Starter

G Andersen (27): 33gms, .918sv%, .923es%
G Lundqvist (34): 29gms, .912sv%, .917es%

Backup

G McElhinny (33): 7gms, .924sv%, .931es%
G Raanta (27): 16gms, .921sv%, .928es%

 

[Budsfan]

 

[SprDaVE]

Nash is back in the lineup. Looks like a hat trick is in order.