GDT: Maple Leafs at Lightning (7:30pm, Sportsnet)

by Declan Kerin on November 22, 2011 in Game Day - 977 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning look to rebound from their first home loss in more than a month Tuesday night when they face a Toronto Maple Leafs team that hasn’t scored in its last two visits to the St. Pete Times Forum.

Toronto has been stumbling of late and have be decimated by 7 injuries to their regular line-up. Good news on that front—James Reimer is expected to return later this week (reported elsewhere, not in that article) and Clarke McArthur is dressed to play against the Lighting.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been red-hot at home this season with a 6-2-0 record and the Leafs have been mediocre on the road with a 5-5-0 and have a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games.

Phil Kessel will look to distance himself from the rest of the pack in the scoring and points race tonight. He has 4 goals, 2 assists in the last 5 games. After a slow start (for him), Steve Stamkos has started to find his touch around the net and has 5 points in his last 5 games.

Tampa can pick off the stretch passes Toronto uses all night long, so the Leafs will need a strong outing from their coach tonight to pick apart the infamous 1-3-1 and get the team making quick adjustments. If Toronto plays with their speed and Tampa is caught flat footed playing the trap, the Leafs can take this.

Expected Line-up:

Kessel-Bozak-Lupul
McArthur-Connolly-Kulemin
Crabb-Colborne-Frattin
Dupuis-Steckel-Rosehill

Defence Pairings
Gunnarsson-Phaneuf
Liles-Franson
Gardiner-Schenn

Goalies
Gustavsson (starting)
Scrivens

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