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Game Day: Bruins at Maple Leafs
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby
Game Day: Bruins at Maple Leafs
BOSTON BRUINS AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Saturday, 7 p.m., Air Canada Centre
TV: Sportsnet; RADIO: FAN 590
THE BIG MATCHUP
C Patrice Bergeron vs. C William Nylander
Bergeron, one of the best in the business on the draw, has several advantages over Auston Matthews’ replacement. Bergeron is top 10 in league faceoffs won and at close to 57%, better than any regular on the Leafs. But Nylander is no newbie, supplanting Matthews on many important draws and is close to 51% himself.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
MATTER OF PRIDE
The only real blip in the Leafs winning 13 of their past 16 was how awful they were in Boston on Feb. 3, a 4-1 loss. A Mitch Marner power-play goal was all they managed in 24 shots. A bounce-back game is essential, but the Bruins are well-rested for this match.
TRADES AND PLAYOFFS
It’s doubtful that respective general managers Lou Lamoriello and Don Sweeney let anything that happens in this one game change whatever approach they are taking to Monday’s trade deadline. They likely have made up their minds what their needs and assets are. But the fact these teams could clash in the first round could light fire under some individuals.
B’s MUST BE HOME WRECKERS
Toronto’s good vibe at the Air Canada Centre — one more win ties the club record of nine straight at home — can still be tampered with as the pesky Isles showed Thursday. Boston’s Brad Marchand is usually good for getting under the skin of the Leafs and by extension, the whole rink. And the Leafs still have no one like Zdeno Chara patrolling on defence.
POWER OUTAGE
Toronto’s power play has dipped below 20% after a 1-for-13 skid that included three misses against the Isles. Players such as Kasperi Kapanen and Connor Brown must make the most of their extra time on special teams, but both Leafs units are facing the league’s top penalty killers.
ONE-TO-ONE
It might not get much tighter in the third period than seeing the Leafs with their NHL-best record of 20 one-goal wins try and hang on against a like-minded team.
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Toronto 19.7% (18th)
Boston 20.4% (14th)
PENALTY KILL
Toronto 83.2% (4th)
Boston 84.2% (1st)
BRUINS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Brad Marchand Patrice Bergeron David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk David Krejci Ryan Spooner
Danton Heinen Riley Nash David Backes
Tim Schaller Sean Kuraly Noel Acciari
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Zdeno Chara Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk/K. Miller Adam McQuaid/N. Holden
GOALIES
Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin
SICK BAY
LW Anders Bjork
MAPLE LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Zach Hyman William Nylander Connor Brown
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Kasperi Kapanen
Leo Komarov Dominic Moore Josh Leivo
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Jake Gardiner Nikita Zaitsev
Morgan Rielly Ron Hainsey
Travis Dermott C. Carrick/R. Polak
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
Sick Bay
C Auston Matthews
Leafs juggle lines while waiting for news on Auston Matthews’ shoulder
Sophomore centre goes for MRI, will miss games against rival Bruins, Lightning.
Leafs juggle lines while waiting for news on Auston Matthews’ shoulder | Toronto Star
Auston Matthews, left, scored the tying goal late in the third period Thursday night, then left with a shoulder injury after a collision with two Islanders minutes later. (Kevin Sousa / GETTY IMAGES)
By Mark ZwolinskiSports Reporter
Fri., Feb. 23, 2018
Two things came to mind at Leafs practice Friday, knowing star centre Auston Matthews will likely miss two important games against division rivals with a shoulder injury.
First: How long will Matthews be sidelined?
Second: Will the Leafs adjust their game plan for the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline, should the Matthews injury keep him down longer than initial projections?
“Auston hurt his shoulder, he’s getting it looked at and its day to day, so we’ll know more (Saturday),” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. Matthews’ shoulder took a jolt in Thursday’s game when he was crunched between Islanders defenceman Adam Pelech and forward Cal Clutterbuck.
Matthews was scheduled for an MRI on Friday. Injuries to the shoulder, one of the most complicated joints in the human body, can result in long-term layoffs if the injury involves bones or soft tissue damage. Boston just lost rookie Anders Bjork for the remainder of the season after the 21-year-old underwent shoulder surgery this week to repair labrum damage. Mitch Marner, Matthews’ good friend and teammate, missed five games last February with shoulder problems.
Babcock, who looked worried after Thursday’s game, had a more calming grip on Matthews’ situation Friday.
“There’s a huge opportunity for someone to step in,” the coach said. “Auston will be out for a bit anyways, so we’ll see how (other players) step up.”
Babcock said the Leafs would not make a panic move before Monday’s trade deadline to find a replacement for Matthews.
“It’s the trade deadline, it’s not like Christmas and someone is dropping off gifts,” Babcock said. “We’ll make a deal if it helps our team, we won’t do anything foolish, that’s for sure.”
The immediate concerns for the Leafs are their next two opponents — Boston on Saturday, Tampa Bay on Monday. The Leafs could vault past the Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division, and the Eastern Conference with a win Saturday. Boston, though, has five games in hand. Tampa Bay, the conference leader, is four points ahead of the Leafs, with two games in hand.
Babcock switched William Nylander, Matthews’ regular winger, to centre at practice Friday and moved winger Connor Brown to his line with Zach Hyman. Nylander was drafted as a centre.
“We’ll start with Willie there at centre and, if things go good, he’ll stay there (while Matthews is injured),” Babcock said.
Veteran winger Patrick Marleau, who played a handful of games at centre earlier this year, is another option.
The timing of Matthews’ absence couldn’t have come at a more pressure-packed time, with the trade deadline and the final weeks of the regular season that follow. But the Leafs believe in their depth, with forwards Matt Martin and Josh Leivo waiting in the wings and more help on the American Hockey League-leading Marlies. Their scoring leader, winger Andreas Johnsson, is tied for second in the AHL with 23 goals.
The Leafs will juggle the bodies they have for now. Kasperi Kapanen moved from the fourth line Friday to take Brown’s spot with Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. Leivo and Martin could be fill-ins on the fourth line, joining Dominic Moore and Leo Komarov.
“I haven’t decided who’s in, Matty or Josh,” Babcock said. “We’ll see what can help us the best, whoever gets in, you just have to grab it and play real well.”
Any opportunity would be a long-awaited return for Leivo, who has soldiered through almost two years of healthy scratches. He has been a healthy scratch for 23 consecutive games, with his last game being the New Year’s Eve road game in Las Vegas. Leivo took reps both 5x5 and on the power play at Friday’s practice.
“My mind set is come in every day, work as hard as I can, and be ready when they call me,” said Leivo, who had 10 points in 13 games last season but has just three in 12 games this season. “I’ve been doing the same thing every day for eight weeks now, but I have to be ready. I’m excited to get the opportunity if it comes, and a chance to help this team win.”
The Leafs have done plenty of that lately, winning all nine of their home games this month. But now they’re without Matthews for a third time. They were 6-4 when he missed games with a suspected back injury and, later, a concussion.
“Get to work and get back as fast as you can.” Babcock said, when asked what he told Matthews. “I’m not very concerned about him. He’s fine, we were joking around (in the dressing room) and he’s fine.”