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Wednesday game preview: Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Former Leaf James Reimer is 5-0 in March, with two shutouts.
Wednesday game preview: Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Star
Florida’s Aleksander Barkov has been one of the NHL’s top scorers of late, with 27 points in his last 21 games. (Mike Ehrmann / GETTY IMAGES)
Tues., March 27, 2018
AIR CANADA CENTRE
FACEOFF: 7:30 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
KEY PLAYERS
Barkov vs. Marner
The Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov is fourth in NHL scoring since Feb. 14, with eight goals and 19 assists in 21 games. Mitch Marner is the hottest Leaf, with points (three goals, nine assists) in nine consecutive games. He is the eighth skater in the NHL to have an assist streak of at least eight games this season.
NEED TO KNOW
Former Leafs goaltender James Reimer posted a shutout against the Islanders on Monday as Florida improved to 13-3-1 in its past 17 games. It was the Panther’s fourth shutout over the last three weeks. Reimer, with two of them, has allowed just five goals in his five starts this month, all wins … Florida entered Tuesday one point back of New Jersey for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers were 10 points out of the playoff picture on Jan. 30, and have not occupied a post-season position since Oct. 12, three games into their season … This game is the second game of a four-game road trip for the Panthers … Florida defenceman Keith Yandle, the league ironman, has played 707 straight games; fellow defenceman Aaron Ekblad has tied a career high with 15 goals.
UP NEXT
Friday, at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Game Day: Panthers at Maple Leafs
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby
Game Day: Panthers at Maple Leafs
FLORIDA PANTHERS AT TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Air Canada Centre
TV: Sportsnet; RADIO: 590 AM
THE BIG MATCHUP
G Frederik Andersen vs. G James Reimer
The new Maple Leafs goalie vs. the old one, though there’s a chance warhorse Roberto Luongo comes back from an upper-body injury to resume control of his team’s playoff fate. Reimer, with the same late-season heroics he showed with Toronto in his first full year, is on a roll and had a shutout Monday over the Islanders as the Panthers began a four-game road trip. Andersen will take a second try at a career high 36 wins after losing 3-2 to Buffalo.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
PLAYOFF DESPERATION
The Leafs, with their spot almost secured, have taken their foot off the pedal at times in the past two home games. The Panthers can’t afford such luxury, as their admirable run continues, 10 wins and counting this month, closing within a point of New Jersey before Tuesday night for the last wild-card spot. Beating Florida in regulation lowers Toronto’s magic number to clinch a spot significantly.
CLOSE CALLS
The three games in the season series thus far between the clubs have been incredibly tight, low-scoring one-goal decisions including Florida wins by shootout and overtime. Andersen had a 1-0 shutout in the last ACC contest.
SHORT STORY
With 10 short-handed goals, the Panthers have the potential to turn the tables on a hot Leafs power play. Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck have combined for nine short-handed points this season.
FOURTH AND GOAL
While Toronto’s quick-footed fourth line has been generating many offensive chances of late, winger Andreas Johnsson would like to cash in some, not to mention centre Tomas Plekanec itching to get his first Leafs point since the trade with Montreal a month ago.
TENACIOUS D
The Leafs and Panthers rank in the NHL’s top 10 and takeaways and faceoff winning percentage, an area the Leafs must keep improving upon to have any chance of an elongated run in April.
MAPLE LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Zach Hyman Auston Matthews William Nylander
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Connor Brown
A. Johnsson/L. Komarov Tomas Plekanec Kasperi Kapanen
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Morgan Rielly Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner Nikita Zaitsev
Roman Polak Travis Dermott
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
SICK BAY
F Leo Komarov
PANTHERS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Evgenii Dadonov Aleksander Barkov Nick Bjugstad
Jonathan Huberdeau Vincent Trocheck Jamie McGinn
Maxim Mamin Denis Malgin Colton Sceviour
Micheal Haley Derek MacKenzie Frank Vatrano
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Keith Yandle Aaron Ekblad
Mike Matheson Mark Pysyk
MacKenzie Weegar Alex Petrovic
GOALIES
James Reimer
Roberto Luongo
SICK BAY
None
SPECIAL TEAMS
POWER PLAY
Toronto 23.7% (3rd)
Florida 19.0% (21st)
PENALTY KILLING
Toronto 82.5% (8th)
Florida 80.9% (13th)
