The Maple Leafs, 6-2-2 in their last ten, began their run of hot play with a win over these same St. Louis Blues on Hockey Night In Canada almost a month ago.
After an inauspicious start that saw the Leafs heavily outshot and down 1-0, they took advantage of a tired Blues team that arrived back in St. Louis in the middle of the night after a game in New York, taking over the contest in the final 45 minutes en route to a 4-1 victory. The Leafs had lost five of their previous six entering that December 5th contest, and four of their previous four against the Blues.
The Blues are 6-4-0 since then, and sit second in the Central with the Blackhawks and Wild hot on their heels. They’ve been playing a notch below their usual elite selves in the regular season, partly due to a step back in their 5v5 offensive production (from 7th in G/60 at 5v5 to 20th). The Blues should get a little help in that department thanks to the return of Patrik Berglund, who will be in the lineup tonight having yet to play a game this season due to a shoulder injury.
Ken Hitchcock on the #leafs under Mike Babcock: "They wear blue and white, but they all play like they're wearing red and white."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 2, 2016
Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock insisted before the season that the Leafs under Babcock would be a competitive team each night and in the playoff mix as the season progresses, which is looking more like the case with each passing game since the painful one-win month of October.
This Leafs team has certainly already done one thing it couldn’t under Babcock’s predecessors in Peter Horachek and Randy Carlyle — win a game against Hitchcock’s Blues.
St. Louis Blues Projected Lines
Alexander Steen – Paul Stastny – Vladimir Tarasenko
Patrik Berglund – David Backes – Magnus Paajarvi
Robby Fabbri – Jori Lehtera – Troy Brouwer
Dmitrij Jaskin – Kyle Brodziak – Ryan Reaves
Jay Bouwmeester – Alex Pietrangelo
Colton Parayko – Kevin Shattenkirk
Carl Gunnarsson – Robert Bortuzzo
Jake Allen
Brian Elliott
Injured: Jaden Schwartz (ankle), Steve Ott (hamstring)
Scratched: Joel Edmundson, Cody Hodgson, Scottie Upshall
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
James van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – PA Parenteau
Michael Grabner – Nazem Kadri – Leo Komarov
Daniel Winnik – Peter Holland – Joffrey Lupul
Shawn Matthias – Mark Arcobello/Byron Froese – Brad Boyes
Jake Gardiner – Dion Phaneuf
Matt Hunwick – Morgan Rielly
Martin Marincin – Roman Polak
Jonathan Bernier
Antoine Bibeau
Injured: Stephane Robidas (lower body), Garret Sparks (lower body), Nick Spaling (upper body), Byron Froese (lower body). James Reimer (groin)
Scratched: Frank Corrado
Status report courtesy of NHL.com: Reimer skated before his team’s morning skate, while Froese practiced with the Leafs … Berglund was activated on Friday and after offseason shoulder surgery. As a result, the Blues reassigned Jordan Caron to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
Who’s hot courtesy of NHL.com: After starting the season 0-10-1, Bernier has four wins in his past six starts … Tarasenko, who missed the last game with an illness, has eight goals in his past 13 games, including two game-winners. Blues rookie Fabbri has scored four times in six games.
Mike Babcock Game Day Presser