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Thursday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars
Alexander Radulov tough test for Leafs defence at American Airlines Center.
Thursday NHL game preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Dallas Stars | Toronto Star
Goalie Kari Lehtonen, forward Alexander Radulov and the Dallas Stars host the Maple Leafs on Thursday night. (Jeffrey T. Barnes / AP file photo)
By Dave FeschukSports Columnist
Wed., Jan. 24, 2018
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER
FACEOFF: 8:30 p.m.
TV: TSN4
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
KEY PLAYERS
Radulov/Leafs defence
Alexander Radulov, the former Canadiens winger, broke hearts in Montreal when he signed a five-year deal in Dallas last summer worth an annual average value of about $6.25 million U.S.. Lately he’s been breaking through opposing schemes at an alarming rate. In his most recent eight games the 31-year-old winger — who plays on the No. 1 line with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn — has racked up six goals and nine assists.
NEED TO KNOW
Maple Leafs winger Leo Komarov turned 31 on Tuesday, when the team spent the night in Chicago. Longtime linemate Nazem Kadri, who was separated from Komarov in a lineup shakeup at practice on Tuesday, said celebrations were low-key. “He’s getting too old to celebrate now anyways,” Kadri said of Komarov. Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner, overhearing Kadri’s remark, begged to differ, suggesting Komarov had been pointing out his impending milestone in the lead-up to the big day: “(Komarov) is obsessed with his birthday.” . . . The Stars have won six of their last eight games, outscoring opponents a combined 31-16.
UP NEXT
Jan. 31 vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Stars
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby
GAME DAY: Maple Leafs at Stars
Ron Hainsey #2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs waits for a faceoff against the Vancouver Canucks during an NHL game at the Air Canada Centre on January 6, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canucks 3-2 in an overtime shoot-out. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images
MAPLE LEAFS AT DALLAS STARS
8:30 P.M. AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER
TV: TSN RADIO: TSN 1050
THE BIG MATCH-UP
D John Klingberg vs. D Ron Hainsey
The surprise leader among NHL blueline scorers at a near point-a-game pace, Klingberg also has points in 10 of his last 11 and leads the Stars in ice time at 23:33. Hainsey – and all the Leafs – will be tested on the second of back to back nights, but both clubs should leave everything out there with the all-star break following.
KEYS TO THE GAME
REMEMBER MCELHINNEY?
Leaf back-up goalie Curtis McElhinney has not played since Dec. 20 and not won since Dec. 10. He gets a tired team in front of him again, but is used to making the best of it. His career mark is 4-2 against the Stars with a .926 save percentage.
SPEZ-TACULAR
Jason Spezza, having overcome being a healthy scratch earlier this month, enters this game with 58 career points against the Leafs (mostly with Ottawa), which is the third highest of all active NHLers versus Toronto and his most against any NHL team.
RADICAL RADULOV
Coach Ken Hitchcock’s humour must have lightened the mood of the former Predator and Canadien Alexander Radulov, who has already reached 20 goals and had a couple of three-point games this month. He’s also counted in 10 of his last 11 games, 18 points in all.
CLOSING THE DOOR
Hitchcock has brought the expected improvement to the Stars’ defensive game, holding opponents to an average of just under 30 shots per game, best in the Western Conference.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
It won’t be easy to beat the Stars at home, where they have an impressive record of 17-6-1. That starts in the first period where they’ve given up just 33 goals in those 24 games.
STARS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Jamie Benn Tyler Seguin Alexander Radulov
Antoine Roussel Radek Faska Tyler Pitlick
Mattias Janmark Jason Spezza Remi Elie
Brett Ritchie Jason Dickenson Devin Shore
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Esa Kindell John Klingberg
Dan Hamhuis Greg Pateryn
Dillon Heatherington Stephen Johns
GOALIES
Ben Bishop
Kari Lehtonen
SICK BAY
D Marc Methot
F Martin Hanzal
LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
Zach Hyman Auston Matthews William Nylander
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Connor Brown
Leo Komarov Dominic Moore Kasperi Kapanen
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Jake Gardiner Ron Hainsey
Travis Dermott Connor Carrick
Andreas Borgman Roman Polak
GOALIES
Curtis McElhinney
Frederik Andersen
SICK BAY
D Morgan Rielly
D Nikita Zaitsev
F Nikita Soshnikov
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play
Toronto 20.4% (10th)
Dallas 20.7 (8th)
Penalty killing
Toronto 83.8% (4th)
Dallas 81.7% (15th)
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. But hoping for a dominant game from the Matthews line after Nylander's huge OT winner last night.
