GDT: Predators@Leafs 7:30 PM SN

[Budsfan]

Wednesday game preview: Nashville Predators at Maple Leafs

The Preds will be without Filip Forsberg, who is serving a three-game suspension.

Wednesday game preview: Nashville Predators at Maple Leafs | Toronto Star

The Predators will be without Filip Forsberg in the lineup Wednesday at the ACC. He's serving a three-game suspension. (Mark Humphrey / The Associated Press)

By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter
Tues., Feb. 6, 2018

AIR CANADA CENTRE
Puck drop: 7:30 pm
TV: Sportnset
Radio: TSN Radio 1050
Key players: P.K. Subban and Zach Hyman.
Hyman is one of the Leafs’ leading penalty killers and will need to keep an eye on Subban. The Preds’ defenceman is one of the most dangerous powerplay players in the NHL. He’s also one of the highest scoring defenceman in the league; his 13 goals lead all NHL blueliners heading into Wednesday’s game. Subban also leads the Predators with 41 points and is one of three defenceman — Brent Burns and John Klingberg are the others — to lead their team in scoring.
Need to know: Great goalie matchup on hand if Leafs’ Freddie Andersen is healthy enough to play. He’d be up against Pekka Rinne, who is one of the top three rated goalies in the NHL, and one who will challenge Andersen for Vezina votes down the stretch . . . Big blow to the Predators on the weekend, when second-leading scorer Filip Forsberg was handed a three-game suspension Saturday for his hit behind the net on Rangers’ Jimmy Vesey. Forsberg has missed 10 games this season due to injury; combined with the games he’s served on this current suspension, the Predators have gone 8-2-2 in his absence . . . Big news for the Predators is the return of Mike Fisher. The classy vet, though, isn’t under contract and has until Feb. 26 to sign. He is not with the club on its current four-game road trip.
Up next: Saturday vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m., CBC.

Game Day: Predators at Maple Leafs
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby

Game Day: Predators at Maple Leafs

P. K. Subban of the Nashville Predators. (MIKE EHRMANN/Getty Images)

NASHVILLE PREDATORS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Wednesday, 7:30 P.M., Air Canada Centre
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: TSN: 1050
THE BIG MATCHUP
P.K. Subban vs. Jake Gardiner
They love P.K. in Nashville, but he always gets a razzing in his hometown, going back to Montreal – Toronto fireworks. Subban assisted on Ryan Johansen’s late tying goal in the Preds 5-4 OT win on Long Island on Monday. Gardiner has 13 assists his past nine games, three on Monday versus Anaheim.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
NO FORS FIELD
Filip Forsberg is serving the second of a three-game suspension, sparing the Leafs defence Nashville’s No. 2 scorer and its top power play marksman.
TIGHTEN UP
Coaches Mike Babcock and Peter Laviolette, who are near the top of the league in one-goal wins, found themselves in unusually high-scoring games Monday. But that offensive flood was likely harder for the latter to stomach, given he had the third-best goals-against average in the league before the Isles struck three times in the first period.
ONE HAPPY FIALA
Nashville winger Kevin Fiala has three multi-goal games in his last seven starts, just one of the less-than-household names populating its roster, but fighting for the conference lead.
HOME COOKING
The last time Toronto had a long home stand, it didn’t win a regulation game. That was taken care of Monday, but Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Columbus are still on the menu so the Leafs can’t let up.
FIRST BLOOD
Craig Smith of Nashville leads the NHL with eight game-opening goals.
PREDATORS GAME DAY LINES
Colton Sissons Ryan Johansen Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala Kyle Turris Craig Smith
Scott Hartnell Nick Bonino Calle Jarnkrok
Miikka Salomaki Austin Watson Pontus Aberg
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Roman Josi Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin Yannick Weber
GOALIES
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
SICK BAY
None
MAPLE 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
Ron Hainsey Morgan Rielly
Nikita Zaitsev Jake Gardiner
Roman Polak Travis Dermott
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
SICK BAY
None
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Toronto 20.9% (10th)
Nashville 24.0% (3rd)
PENALTY KILLING
Toronto 82.4% (7th)
Nashville 82.1% (12th)

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[BertCorbeau]

Another tough one tonight. Hopefully they can tighten up defensively from last game.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[Budsfan]

 

[member 147413]

I’m excited for this one, feel like it’s going to be a fast paced low scoring game.

 

[Warden of the North]

I love hockey so much.

Game days make me so happy

 

[Cor]

Another tough one tonight. Hopefully they can tighten up defensively from last game.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Another tough one tonight. Hopefully they can tighten up defensively from last game.

This.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Preds not gonna let us play pond hockey like the Ducks did. Don't have a good feeling about this one, but hopefully the Leafs surprise me and bang out a W here.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I personally would be playing McBackup tonight, and Saturday night and let Andy play on Monday.

 

[ACC1224]

I personally would be playing McBackup tonight, and Saturday night and let Andy play on Monday.

Are you suggesting they will let him play while injured?

 

[Tall Morty]

Are you suggesting they will let him play while injured?

He could probably use a bit of a vacation after getting a boot to the head at high speed.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Hopefully Freddie can go tonight, because we need him tonight, Nashville is a great team and a big test and not a team I'd want to face at anything but 100% full strength, and as good as Mac has been at times this year, having him in net instead of Freddie does make us less than 100% full strength, I don't know that you can afford that against Nashville.

 

[saltming]

This.

I would be ok with a 15-10 win
But in general yes we need to tighten up the d a bit

 

[Daisy Jane]

Are you suggesting they will let him play while injured?

no. i'm saying McBackup should be playing. We only have a few more back to back situations and andy can't be playing the majority of the games we have left. let McBackup take this type of game, and let Andy take on the Tampas of the world.

 

[tom leafers]

I think this will actually be a pretty low scoring affair. Remember the first 5 games of the season when the lowest scoring game was 7 goals, then Toronto comes up against Washington and everyone expects a 9-8 game. And then boom, its 2-0 for Toronto. I think it will be something like that tonight

 

[Brock Radunske]

I'm really looking forward to tonight. Nashville is one of the top teams in the league with excellent depth throughout.
This is a great opportunity to make a statement, considering the last top team they played (Boston) resulted in the Leafs laying a huge egg.

 

[Buds17]

no. i'm saying McBackup should be playing. We only have a few more back to back situations and andy can't be playing the majority of the games we have left. let McBackup take this type of game, and let Andy take on the Tampas of the world.

Fair point about the back-to-backs, but if we can clinch our playoff spot early enough this season, maybe that'll be more of a rest time for Andersen.

 

[ACC1224]

no. i'm saying McBackup should be playing. We only have a few more back to back situations and andy can't be playing the majority of the games we have left. let McBackup take this type of game, and let Andy take on the Tampas of the world.

My mistake, I didn't realize this was a back to back.
Thought the next game was Saturday.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

My mistake, I didn't realize this was a back to back.
Thought the next game was Saturday.

No back to back. Next game is Saturday vs. Ottawa.

Then Monday vs. Tampa

 

[ACC1224]

No back to back. Next game is Saturday vs. Ottawa.

Then Monday vs. Tampa

That's what I thought.
So the thinking is the healthy number 1 should sit just to get a rest?
Can't see any chance of that happening.

 

[Tall Morty]

My mistake, I didn't realize this was a back to back.
Thought the next game was Saturday.

The next game is Saturday. But Daisy's saying because there are so few back to backs remaining, we might as well throw him into a few games that are not back-to-back situations in order to rest Andersen a little more for the playoffs. And I agree. I want them to keep being competitive, but at this point the playoffs are all but a certainty. No sense burning him out on somewhat meaningless games when we can rest him and have him at full power for the playoffs.

 

[taurine330]

Cheers Budsfan for GDT.

 

[Budsfan]

 

[dangomon]

no. i'm saying McBackup should be playing. We only have a few more back to back situations and andy can't be playing the majority of the games we have left. let McBackup take this type of game, and let Andy take on the Tampas of the world.

What about giving Andersen the night off on Saturday, gives him a nice 4 day rest between starts against two top teams.