Toronto Maple Leafs (21-30-10, 30th in NHL) vs. Minnesota Wild (29-25-10, 17th in NHL)
Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. EST
Arena: Air Canada Centre
Watch: Sportsnet Ontario
The two pieces of lineup info of note today:
– Brendan Leipsic has been recalled on an emergency basis with Brad Boyes out due to an upper-body injury — an “emergency call up” leaves all four post-deadline recalls still available.
– Garret Sparks starts in net for the Leafs.
Who’s Hot
- Nazem Kadri: Seven points (1g, 6a) in last six games
Who’s Cold
- Michael Grabner: 0 points in last 25 games
- Frank Corrado: 0 points in last ten games
Matchup Stats
| Overall Stats | Min | Tor |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 68 | 52 |
| Record % | 0.531 | 0.426 |
| Home Winning % | 0.594 | 0.423 |
| Away Winning % | 0.469 | 0.333 |
| Shootout Winning % | 0 | 0.5 |
| Goal Differential Per Game | 0.16 | -0.57 |
| Shot Differential Per Game | 0.48 | 0.48 |
| Hits Per Game | 17.3 | 27.6 |
| PIM Per Game | 6.8 | 9.3 |
| Opponent PIM Per Game | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Goals Per Game | 2.66 | 2.33 |
| Even Strength Goals Per Game | 1.98 | 1.85 |
| Power Play Goals Per Game | 0.58 | 0.46 |
| Shots Per Game | 29.3 | 31.3 |
| Shots Per Goal | 11 | 13.4 |
| Team Shooting % | 9.10% | 7.40% |
| Power Play % | 18.30% | 14.40% |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.5 | 2.9 |
| ES Goals Against Per Game | 1.83 | 2.15 |
| PP Goals Against Per Game | 0.59 | 0.66 |
| Shots Against Per Game | 28.8 | 30.8 |
| Shots Against Per Goal | 11.52 | 10.62 |
| Opp. Team Shooting % | 8.70% | 9.40% |
| Penalty Kill % | 76.70% | 80.30% |
| Save % | 0.913 | 0.906 |
| Goals Against Average | 2.47 | 2.85 |
| Shutouts | 7 | 3 |
| Opponent Save % | 0.909 | 0.926 |
| Opponent Goals Against Average | 2.63 | 2.29 |
| Opponent Shutouts | 2 | 7 |
Mike Babcock Game Day Quotes
With a core of your club used to playing three games in as many nights, albeit in the AHL, does it compare to a back-to-back at this level for them?
Babcock: It’s an everyday league. You’ve got to play. I think it’s an opportunity for us. We got in at one o’clock or something. I don’t think that’s crazy, or anything like that. We didn’t skate this morning. We should have energy tonight. We’ve been close but we don’t win, so you play in the league to win. That’s why you get ready and that’s why you prepare and that’s why you compete hard. We have to be a little bit better in the faceoff circle, a little bit better on the penalty kill, a little bit better on the powerplay, and find a way to win a game. I thought we did lots of good things last night. In the end, good teams win. When they get up in the morning, they don’t know they won by one. They win 50 times by one. Teams that don’t win, they play in 30 one-goal games and they win eight. That’s what teams that win do, and that’s what teams that don’t win do. I’ve been on the other side of lots and never even thought about it. You just won and got on with yourself.
What’s the biggest challenge for Kapanen and Nylander as teenagers in the NHL? Consistency? What is their biggest challenge?
Babcock: You’ve got to learn to work. You’ve got to learn to compete. The guy across from you feeds his family. When you first arrive in the league you don’t have a wife and kids. When you do have a wife and kids, you understand what responsibility is, so you want your job and you understand how to compete for your job. When you’re a kid, you always think you’re going to get the puck back. As you get older, you know it’s too hard to get the puck back, so you just hang onto it all the time. So there’s lots to learn, obviously. They are works in progress. It’s got to be a night on every night. That’s the problem with the league. The guys that have good engines and good energy and are good pros, they find a way to play everyday. It’s a test of time.
Last week you said, if I’m quoting you correctly, you saw your job as number one helping them become better men and number two helping them become better players. Could you expand on that, especially when you’re talking about guys who are not that far removed from being boys?
Babcock: The big thing, and it wouldn’t matter to me if you’re 32 or 42, I believe in people doing it right every day. I believe the essence of who you are and the measure of who you are as a man is being a good human being. There is no slipperiness about you; you’re honest everyday with your effort and how you treat people and the respect you have for the game. The more good people you have on the team, and obviously talent is a part of that, but the more good men you have, when you have a certain talent base, the more you win. I’m a big believer in that. We’re going to have good people here and we’re going to have good players.
Does your approach as a coach change with players that young?
Babcock: I think so. I think you’re approach changes with each person you coach. They’re at a different stage of their life. I’ve got kids as old as them and older that are athletes that want to do well. I understand how people need to be open to and talked to. But I also understand what accountability is and what doing it right is. People that love you in your life — and this is the biggest for me — when you hear, “oh this guy is a player’s coach!” What does that mean? The people in your life that love you and care about you — they make you better. Sometimes they have hard decisions and hard discussions with you, but they make you better. Sometimes you don’t like it, but so what? They make you better.
On Nikita Soshnikov:
Babcock: I loved him. Six finished checks, he pissed people off, they knew he was out there. He was for real. The last penalty was a joke. I don’t know how a 225-pound guy goes down against an 180-pound guy like that. I thought he was great. If you play hard, and you have a skillset and you’re determined like that and you have no fear, you find a way to play a long time.
Minnesota Wild Projected Lines
Zach Parise – Mikko Koivu – Charlie Coyle
David Jones – Mikael Granlund – Thomas Vanek
Nino Niederreiter – Erik Haula – Jason Pominville
Ryan Carter – Jarret Stoll – Justin Fontaine
Ryan Suter – Jared Spurgeon
Marco Scandella – Matt Dumba
Mike Reilly – Jonas Brodin
Starting Goalie: Devan Dubnyk
Darcy Kuemper
Injured: Jason Zucker (concussion)
Scratched: Nate Prosser, Chris Porter
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Leo Komarov – Nazem Kadri – Nikita Soshnikov
Michael Grabner – William Nylander – Zach Hyman
Colin Greening – Ben Smith – Brooks Laich
Kasperi Kapanen – Peter Holland – Brendan Leipsic
Matt Hunwick – Morgan Rielly
Jake Gardiner – Frank Corrado
Martin Marincin – Connor Carrick
Starting Goalie: Garret Sparks
Jonathan Bernier
Injured: Stephane Robidas (lower body), Joffrey Lupul (middle body), James van Riemsdyk (foot fracture), Jared Cowen (hip tightness), Tyler Bozak (upper body), Milan Michalek (upper body), Brad Boyes (upper body), Byron Froese (hand), PA Parenteau (upper body)
