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WATCH | HNIC: Penguins vs. Maple Leafs | CBC Sports
Saturday game preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs
Crosby and Malkin have terrorized Toronto over the years.
Saturday game preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Star
Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, a Hart candidate again, has 56 points in 39 career games against the Leafs. (Gene J. Puskar / The Associated Press)
By Kevin McGranSports Reporter
Fri., March 9, 2018
AIR CANADA CENTRE
FACEOFF: 7 p.m.
TV: CBC
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
KEY PLAYERS
Pick your poison: Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Crosby has 25 goals, 31 assists for 56 points in 39 games against the Leafs. Malkin has 19 goals, 39 assists for 58 points in 34 games against Toronto. Tyler Bozak has 12 goals, eight assists for 20 points in 23 career games against the Penguins.
NEED TO KNOW
Malkin is having a Hart-worthy year with 38 goals and 46 assists, including 19 points in his last 10 games … Neither of the Penguins’ goaltending options, Tristan Jarry or Casey DeSmith, have a save percentage over .900 … The Penguins are 20-2-2 when leading after the first period. ... The Penguins recalled forward Josh Jooris on an emergency basis from the AHL. Only four Penguins have played the full 68 games so far this season. They are currently without goalie Matt Murray (concussion) and forwards Bryan Rust (upper body), Dominik Simon (lower body) and Zach Aston-Reese (upper body).
UP NEXT
Wednesday, vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.
Game Day: Penguins at Maple Leafs
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
Game Day: Penguins at Maple Leafs
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Saturday, 7 p.m., Air Canada Centre,
TV: CBC, Sportsnet; Radio: 590 AM
THE BIG MATCHUP
Sidney Crosby vs. Nazem Kadri
In 39 career games against the Maple Leafs, Sidney Crosby has rung up 56 points. Count on Nazem Kadri getting the assignment of trying to ensure that Crosby doesn’t add to that total. And count on Crosby needing no push on a Saturday night in Toronto. “I don’t think it ever gets old,” Crosby said on Friday. “(The Leafs) have been resting a bit and they will be excited. There’s a lot of motivation for this one.”
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Andersen in form
Frederik Andersen allowed 10 goals on 49 shots in the past two games, helping result in Toronto losses. With questions regarding his workload rising, the Leafs’ No. 1 goalie has to cast them off and bounce back. “He has not had many (bad games),” Nazem Kadri said. “The times he has, he has responded. Mentally, he is strong.”
2. Be clean and smart
The Penguins own the top power play in the NHL, scoring at a rate of 26.4%. In two previous meetings, the Leafs have been shorthanded five times and the Penguins have scored one power-play goal. A secret to stopping Pittsburgh? “Staying off the penalty kill will be beneficial,” Ron Hainsey said. “That would be my preference.”
3. Markup on effort
The Leafs haven’t lost three consecutive games in regulation since mid-December and won’t have an excuse for poor play, considering they’ve had four non-game days to let four losses in a row (the last two in regulation) eat at them. The rest should be a boon. “It was good, and we had two good practices (Wednesday and Friday),” Leo Komarov said.
4. Willie’s well run dry
With Auston Matthews continuing to nurse a shoulder injury, William Nylander hasn’t been helping to fill the goal void. Nylander has not scored a goal in 10 games, one shy of his longest skid of the season (Oct. 23-Nov. 11). Nylander has been trying to adjust to centre in some of those games, and has just 14 shots on goal in his past 10.
5. One first impression
Tomas Plekanec will have just one first game in Toronto as a member of the Leafs, and he wants to make it memorable for the proper reasons. “It’s going to be special to play a home game in this building,” Plekanec said. “It was always fun to play here as a visitor (with the Montreal Canadiens), so it’s going to be different. I’m excited for that.”
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-William Nylander-Mitch Marner
Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-Leo Komarov
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Connor Brown
Josh Leivo-Tomas Plekanec-Kasperi Kapanen
Defence pairs
Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner-Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott-Roman Polak
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
PENGUINS LINES
LW-C-RW
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Conor Sheary
Carl Hagelin-Evgeni Malkin-Patric Hornqvist
Riley Sheahan-Derick Brassard-Phil Kessel
Tom Kuhnhackl-Josh Jooris-Carter Rowney
Defence pairs
Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Jamie Oleksiak-Justin Schultz
Olli Maatta-Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders
Tristan Jarry
Casey DeSmith
INJURIES
Penguins — G Matt Murray (concussion), F Zach Aston-Reese (upper body), F Bryan Rust (concussion), F Dominik Simon (lower body).
Maple Leafs — C Auston Matthews (shoulder).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Penguins: 26.4% (1st)
Maple Leafs: 21.0% (10th)
Penalty kill
Penguins: 82.1% (11th)
Maple Leafs: 82.4% (10th)
