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Thursday’s game preview: Maple Leafs at Nashville Predators
The Predators have won 14 of their last 15 and host the Leafs Thursday night.
Thursday’s game preview: Maple Leafs at Nashville Predators | Toronto Star
Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has won 11 straight games, tying a career best, and has eight shutouts, a career-high. (Jeffrey T. Barnes / The Associated Press)
Wed., March 21, 2018
BRIDGEPORT ARENA
Faceoff: 8 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet Ontario
RADIO: Sportsnet 590 The Fan
Key players: Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne has won 11 straight games, tying a career best, and has eight shutouts, a career-high. He’s also the seventh goalie to win 40 games in three separate seasons. Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner has assists in five straight games and points (two goals, six assists) in six straight games.
Need to know: The Predators have won 14 of their last 15 … The Predators were named the 15-to-4 odds-on favourite to win the Stanley Cup on Wednesday by Bodog … Former Preds captain Mike Fisher has two goals in seven games and is averaging 12:23 of ice time since coming out of retirement … The Predators boast the NHL’s best home power pay (27 per cent) but only the 19th best home penalty kill (80.5 per cent). The combination of Nashville’s save percentage and shooting percentage is a league-best 1.035 since Feb. 1 … An upper-body injury to centre Calle Jarnkrok is the only serious injury listed by the Predators.
Up next: Saturday, Red Wings at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (CBC).
Game Day: Maple Leafs at Predators
Terry KoshanMore from Terry Koshan
Game Day: Maple Leafs at Predators
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Thursday, 8 p.m., Bridgestone Arena,
TV: Sportsnet Ontario; Radio: 590 AM
THE BIG MATCHUP
James van Riemsdyk vs. Pekka Rinne
The Maple Leafs’ hottest goal-scorer, van Riemsdyk, has seven goals in his past four games and goes up against the hottest goalie in the National Hockey League. Rinne has won 11 games in a row, all in regulation, and has three shutouts in that span. Van Riemsdyk has been especially sharp in tight and with deflections in scoring a career-high 33 goals, but those skills might not matter much against Rinne.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Three periods, not two
If the Leafs stand any reasonable chance of winning, they are going to have to pay much closer attention to the little details, something that escaped them in the third period on Tuesday night in Tampa. On top of that, the Leafs will have to demonstrate against the top club in the NHL that they are mentally strong after blowing a three-goal lead to the Lightning.
2. Matthews returns
Auston Matthews has said this season before returning from a couple of injuries that it’s all about his hands and rhythm and getting his wind back upon getting on the ice again. After missing a month, he’s going to have to be sharp from his first shift against a Predators team that is deep at forward and on the blue line. It’s going to be a challenge for the 20-year-old.
3. Andersen and concentration
When the Leafs had defensive breakdowns in Tampa, Frederik Andersen, in his first game after missing two-plus games with an upper-body injury, was not there to make the required saves. As Mike Babcock said simply after that game, “We didn’t give up that much … the puck went in.” Andersen has to rebound versus the Predators.
4. More power?
It’s said all the time, but games that have the potential to be tight often are decided on special teams. The Leafs now stand at nine goals on their past 15 power-play chances in six games. And while the Predators have been great on the penalty kill on the road, not so at home, where they are 19th. This is where Rinne can be a difference.
5. Eyes on P.K.
The talented P.K. Subban loves to wind up from the point, but he has not had much success against the Leafs in his career, scoring four goals in 32 games. “We have try to put pressure on him and force him to make plays that he might not want to make,” Leafs centre Nazem Kadri said. “If (gets the shot off), we are going to have to be prepared to block it.”
MAPLE LEAFS LINES
LW-C-RW
Zach Hyman-Auston Matthews-William Nylander
Patrick Marleau-Nazem Kadri-Mitch Marner
James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Connor Brown
Andreas Johnsson-Tomas Plekanec-Kasperi Kapanen
Defence pairs
Morgan Rielly-Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner-Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott-Roman Polak
Goaltenders
Frederik Andersen
Curtis McElhinney
PREDATORS LINES
LW-C-RW
Filip Forsberg-Ryan Johansen-Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala-Kyle Turris-Craig Smith
Ryan Hartman-Nick Bonino-Colton Sissons
Scott Hartnell-Mike Fisher-Miikka Salomaki
Defence pairs
Roman Josi-Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm-P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin-Yannick Weber
Goaltenders
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
INJURIES
Predators — C Calle Jarnkrok (upper body).
Maple Leafs — F Leo Komarov (leg).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Power play
Predators: 21.0% (13th)
Maple Leafs: 23.1% (4th)
Penalty kill
Predators: 83.0% (6th)
Maple Leafs: 82.3% (8th)