Devils - Leafs Game Day
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Devils – Leafs Game Day
7 P.M. Scotiabank Arena
TV: TSN RADIO: TSN 1050
THE BIG MATCH-UP
C Taylor Hall vs. RW Mitch Marner
Well it is the ‘Hall’ of Fame Game, so watch out for the Devils’ Hart Trophy winner who has 10 of his 13 points this season on the power play. Hall opened the scoring on Tuesday in Ottawa, before Jersey was hammered 7-3. Marner has just two points in six games against Jersey, with the Devils and Canadiens the only two conference teams he has yet to score against.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. ROAD KILL?
Other than kicking around the Penguins, this seven-game road marathon for the Devils has been painful. The four losses have been by a combined 22-9 score and have left them at the bottom of a Metropolitan Division most expected they were better positioned to contend in. One more stop awaits in Winnipeg.
2. LEAK IN NET
Keith Kinkaid and Cory Schneider (coming off summer hip surgery) have have had their struggles, though it was the veteran Schneider who allowed only four goals over two games in Toronto last season, while Kinkaid won a close one over Frederik Andersen in Newark just before the playoffs. Interesting decision for Mike Babcock on this back-to-back, to stick with the hot Andersen or save him for Saturday night in the first playoff rematch against division rival Boston.
3. BRATT PACK BACK
European trips for NHL teams sometimes are bad luck and the Devils lost Jesper Bratt with a broken jaw last month. The 35-point winger as a rookie is set to return against the Leafs.
4. J.T. REVS UP
John Tavares started hot, cooled off and has now tallied four points over the past three games. The ex-Islander is no stranger to facing the Devils.
5. WIDE MARGIN
The NHL stats office have determined the Leafs rank second in shots going wide (as opposed to high) at 195, behind the San Jose Sharks. They have certainly lost some accuracy minus injured Auston Matthews.
LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Zach Hyman John Tavares Mitch Marner
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Kasperi Kapanen
Andreas Johnsson Par Lindholm Connor Brown
Tyler Ennis Frederick Gauthier Josh Leivo
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Morgan Rielly Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott Igor Ozhiganov
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
Sick Bay
C Auston Matthews (shoulder)
DEVILS GAME DAY LINES LW C RW
Taylor Hall Nico Hischier Kyle Palmieri
Marcus Johansson Brent Seney Jesper Bratt
Blake Coleman Travis Zajac Joey Anderson
Brian Boyle Jean-Sebastien Dea Miles Wood
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Mirco Mueller Sami Vatanen
Andy Greene Damon Severson
Will Butcher Ben Lovejoy
GOALIES
Keith Kinkaid
Cory Schneider
SICK BAY
F Stefan Noesen (lower body)
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Toronto 30.0% (4th)
New Jersey 26.4% (7th)
PENALTY KILLING
Toronto 83.7% (6th)
New Jersey 80.8% (13th)