Returning home from a four-game road trip in which they lost their last three games, the Toronto Maple Leafs hope to get 2012 off to a good start as they kick off a four-game homestand against Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This is the second of four meetings for the two teams this season. The Leafs won the first match-up in a rout, earning a lopsided 7-1 win in Tampa on Nov. 22, in which Tyler Bozak scored twice for his first multi-goal game of the season.
The 2011 calendar year did not wrap up so nicely for Toronto, as they lost three of their last four games played, and for the first time this season, they find themselves on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Leafs currently have 41 points on the year, ranking them tenth in the East, two points back of the eighth-seed Winnipeg Jets, who beat Toronto 3-2 on New Year's Eve thanks in part to two power play goals against the Leafs' woeful penalty kill.
The final month of 2011 did not go how the Leafs had hoped, losining nine of 13 games played in December, posting a 4-6-3 record. If Toronto is to get back on track, they will have a good opportunity to do so with a favourable schedule in January, playing nine of their 12 games this month at the Air Canada Centre.
At home this season, the Leafs are 8-5-4, compared to 10-10-1 on the road. James Reimer has found much more success at the ACC as well, going undefeated in regulation with a 6-0-3 record. His record on the road meanwhile is worse as he has collected just one win to go 1-4-1 in eight starts.
Even the Leafs' league-worst penalty kill has been slightly better at home. And while it's only marginal and still poorly ranked, Toronto has killed off 76.6 percent of penalties at home, compared to just 69 percent on the road. That could go a long way to improving a penalty kill which allowed 19 power play goals in December and killed off just 64 percent of times shorthanded.
Following a nearly two hour practice session on Monday, head coach Ron Wilson hinted that Jonas Gustavsson may get the start in net against the Bolts. Reimer has started the last six games, posting a 3.53 goals-against average and .873 save percentage during that stretch.
Gustavsson has not had a start in net since Dec. 17 against the Vancouver Canucks in which he allowed five goals on 36 shots in a 5-3 loss. The Monster made a relief appearance on Dec. 27 in a lopsided loss to the Florida Panthers, taking over for Reimer after he gave up three goals on eight shots. Gustavsson was credited with the loss in that game however, allowing two goals, one of which was the game winner, on 18 shots faced.
In five career starts versus the Lightning, Gustavsson is 2-0-3 while posting a 2.54 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Monster's record at home this season is 2-3-0 with a 3.81 GAA and .894 SV%.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines - Based on Monday's practice lines. Subject to change.
Forwards
Joffrey Lupul - Tim Connolly - Phil Kessel
Clarke MacArthur - Matthew Lombardi - Nazem Kadri
Joey Crabb - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin
Darryl Boyce - David Steckel - Matt Frattin
Defence
Keith Aulie - Dion Phaneuf
Carl Gunnarsson - Luke Schenn
Jake Gardiner - Cody Franson
Goalies
Jonas Gustavsson
James Reimer
The Lightning are starting the new year on a positive note. While they sit fourth in Southeast and 12th in the conference with a record of 17-17-3 and 37 points, Tampa Bay have won three-straight and six of their last ten games.
New Year's Eve was when the Bolts were last in action, picking up a 5-2 home win over the Carolina Hurricanes in which Steven Stamkos registered his second hat trick of the season and the fifth of his young career to give him a league-leading 26 goals this season. The 21-year old sniper has four more goals than any other player in the league and comes into 2012 riding a three-game point streak, registering six goals during that stretch. Stamkos has also collected 13 points (10G, 3A) in his last eight games.
A date with the Leafs is likely marked on the calendar for the Markham, Ontario native, as he has performed well against his hometown club in his four seasons in the league. Stamkos has 17 career points (6G, 11A) in 13 games against Toronto, and has scored more points against the Leafs than against any other team in the league outside of the Southeast Division. He has 29 career points against Atlanta/Winnipeg and 22 points versus the Florida Panthers.
In addition to Stamkos' hat trick in Saturday's win over the Canes, Martin St. Louis picked up three helpers to reach 500 assists in his illustrious career. The 36-year old Quebec native comes into 2012 riding a seven-game point streak, registering ten points (3G, 7A) during that span.
Also helping Tampa to look like a team who could be on the rebound and possibly make their way back into the playoff picture has been Mathieu Garon, who has picked up three-straight wins in goal. In his current three game win streak, Garon has posted a 2.00 goals-against and .935 save percentage, proving it's not just the Lightning's potent offense which has been helping the team win games.
Garon has had his struggled against the Leafs in the past however, allowing five goals on nine shots in the 7-1 loss to Toronto on home ice earlier this season. In five career games against the Maple Leafs, Garon is 1-1-0 with a 3.97 GAA and .867 SV%.
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines -Subject to change
Forwards
Steve Downie - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Dominic Moore - Vinny Lecavalier - J.T. Wyman
Ryan Malone - Tom Pyatt - Teddy Purcell
Blair Jones - Adam Hall - Dana Tyrell
Defence
Pavel Kubina - Eric Brewer
Matt Gilroy - Brett Clark
Bruno Gervais - Marc-Andre Bergeron
Goalies
Mathieu Garon
Dwayne Roloson
Lightning vs. Leafs gets underway at 7PM ET. The game will be broadcast on Sportsnet Ontario and AM640.
For up-to-the-minute Leafs news and updates, be sure to follow Ken Beckett on Twitter @KenBeckett
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