Saturday NHL game preview: Vancouver Canucks at Toronto Maple Leafs
Canucks rookie sensation Brock Boeser hits town for Saturday night clash at ACC.
Saturday NHL game preview: Vancouver Canucks at Toronto Maple Leafs | Toronto Star
Rookie Brock Boeser leads the Vancouver Canucks, who take on the Leafs Saturday night at the ACC, with 21 goals. (DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
By
Mark ZwolinskiSports reporter
Fri., Jan. 5, 2018
AIR CANADA CENTRE
FACEOFF: 7 p.m.
TV: CBC
RADIO: TSN 1050
KEY PLAYERS
Boeser/Marner
Vancouver’s
Brock Boeser is the leading candidate for NHL rookie of the year, with 21 goals, in a season full of impressive first-year performances. Leaf
Mitch Marner, a rookie sensation a year ago, has been lifting fans out of their seats with his skating and playmaking the past two games.
NEED TO KNOW
The Canucks started the season well but have gone 2-9-1 since Dec. 5. That coincided with a rash of injuries: top-line forwards
Bo Horvat (broken foot) and
Sven Baertschi (broken finger) joined second-line centre Brandon Sutter (upper body) on injured reserve. Baertschi could return this weekend, but Horvat is out until after the all-star break. Nine Canucks have missed 10 or more games because of injuries . . . Some good news from the injury front: Defenceman
Chris Tanev returned this week after missing seven games (groin). . . . First-year coach
Travis Green, a former Leaf, has drawn excellent reviews for his work with young players. Vancouver has a raft of prospects ready to make the jump to the NHL and if the Canucks fall out of contention, fans could see some of them this season . . . The Canucks sent
Jared McCann plus second- and fourth-round draft picks to the Panthers for defenceman
Erik Gudbranson in May, 2016 and now must decide whether to sign the 25-year-old blue-liner long term or trade him.
UP NEXT
Monday vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Game Day: Canucks at Maple Leafs
Lance HornbyMore from Lance Hornby
Game Day: Canucks at Maple Leafs
Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks. (DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press)
VANCOUVER CANUCKS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Saturday, 7 p.m. Air Canada Centre
TV: CBC, Sportsnet; Radio: 1050 AM
THE BIG MATCHUP
RW Brock Boeser vs. G Frederik Andersen
Not a great season for the Canucks, but rookie Boeser is making it more tolerable. The Minnesotan leads all freshmen entering the weekend, his 21 goals include six on the power play and four game-winners. Andersen anticipates getting on a roll at home, as Toronto is in the midst of six straight at the ACC. He is coming off of a 33-save shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
Long memory
The Maple Leafs wrapped up a Western trip last month with a down-to-the-wire game against the Canucks, recording 66 shot attempts in a 2-1 loss. They hope to bring all guns to bear on Vancouver goaltender Jakob Markstrom again. At the ACC, the Leafs have won the last four against Vancouver.
Red alert on blue line
One of two things will happen with the Leafs lineup: Coach Mike Babcock will dress rookie defenceman Travis Dermott for his first game and get some new energy, or Dermott’s mere presence gets Connor Carrick fired up to defend his spot.
Here’s a tip
James van Riemsdyk, Toronto’s deflection specialist, has five goals and eight points in 11 games versus Vancouver, with the Leafs’ only goal in the clash between the teams last month.
No stitches for Stecher
Defenceman Troy Stecher blocked a hard shot on an ankle and was hit on the face by a Mitch Marner backhand in the last meeting. He needs some better puck luck here.
Green Leaf
The Canucks will want to win this for Travis Green, who played more than 200 games here, including a second stint that was his last NHL stop before turning to coaching.
CANUCKS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Thomas Vanek Sam Gagner Brock Boeser
Daniel Sedin Henrik Sedin Loui Eriksson
Nikolay Goldobin Markus Granlund Jake Virtanen
Brendan Gaunce Nic Dowd Reid Boucher
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Alexander Edler Troy Stecher
Michael Del Zotto Chris Tanev
Derrick Pouliot Erik Gudbranson
GOALIES
Jacob Markstrom
Anders Nilsson
INJURIES
F Derek Dorsett
F Bo Horvat
F Brandon Sutter
F Sven Baertschi
MAPLE LEAFS GAME DAY LINES
LW C RW
Zach Hyman Auston Matthews William Nylander
James van Riemsdyk Tyler Bozak Mitch Marner
Patrick Marleau Nazem Kadri Leo Komarov
Matt Martin D. Moore/F. Gauthier Connor Brown
DEFENCE PAIRINGS
Morgan Rielly Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner Connor Carrick/Travis Dermott
Andreas Borgman Roman Polak
GOALIES
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
SICK BAY
D Nikita Zaitsev
F Nikita Soshnikov
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power plays
Toronto 21.8% (6th)
Vancouver 20.6% (10th)
Penalty killing
Toronto 83.7% (7th)
Vancouver 77.3% (27th)
