With losses in six of their last seven games, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to get back into the win column on Thursday when they host the struggling San Jose Sharks in the second game of their four game home stand.
This is the lone meeting between the two teams this season. The Maple Leafs took last year's game against the Sharks, picking up a 4-2 win at San Jose on Jan. 11.
In the Leafs' last game on Tuesday, Toronto picked up an important point but fell to the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in overtime. The OT winner was a questionable goal in which Mark Fayne's shot was going wide of the net, but Jonas Gustavsson tried to make the save, deflecting the puck into the net in the process.
The Monster claimed post-game that the puck may have bounced off the ice, but his performance against the Devils in which he allowed three soft goals looks to have cost him the starting job for now. Getting the nod against San Jose will be James Reimer.
Reimer's start will be his first since allowing four goals on 18 shots before getting pulled in Saturday's loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Since returning from a head injury on Dec. 3, the Morweena, Manitoba native has been less than stellar in net, posting a 7-8-3 record.
In his lone career start against the Sharks on Jan. 11 of last season, Reimer stopped 40 of 42 shots en route to first star of the game honours in the Leafs' victory.
Down 3-2 in the last minute of regulation against the Devils on Tuesday, Phil Kessel scored with 44 seconds remaining to tie up the game and eventually force overtime to help give the Leafs the extra point. Kessel's goal extended his modest point streak to four games, registering a goal and three assists during that span. The 24-year old forward has also collected 13 points (5G, 8A) in his last nine games.
Entering action on Thursday night, Toronto finds themselves in a fight for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Blue and White sit in eighth spot with 65 points, but close on their tail are the Winnipeg Jets who also have 65 points but have played in two more games. The Washington Capitals sit in tenth place with 63 points. The Caps are not in action, while the Jets host Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
Joffrey Lupul - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel
Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Nikolai Kulemin
Matthew Lombardi - Tim Connolly - Joey Crabb
Darryl Boyce - David Steckel - Mike Brown
Defencemen
Carl Gunnarsson - Dion Phaneuf
John-Michael Liles - Cody Franson
Jake Gardiner - Luke Schenn
Goalies
James Reimer
Jonas Gustavsson
While the Leafs have had struggles of their own, San Jose enters action on Thursday also going through a slump, losing four in a row and seven of their last nine games.
For most teams this season, a date with the Columbus Blue Jackets has usually resulted in a win. That was not the case for the Sharks on Tuesday however, as Columbus picked up a dominating 6-3 victory in which trade rumour magnet Jeff Carter scored a hat trick. His teammate also rumoured to be on the move, Rick Nash, earned a goal and an assist.
The Sharks have held onto the Pacific Division lead for most of the season, but their current slump combined with the hot play of the Phoenix Coyotes has put San Jose in danger of losing their grasp on first place. Coming into Thursday's tilt in Toronto, the Sharks sit first in the Pacific and third in the Western Conference with 69 points. Hot on their tails are the Coyotes who are 8-1-1 in their last ten games, also with 69 points but having played two more games.
If San Jose were to drop their game against the Leafs and Phoenix wins their match-up in Calgary against the Flames, the Sharks would not only lose first in the division, but would fall from third in the West down to seventh.
Though the Sharks' last game resulted in a loss, Ontario natives Joe Thornton and Logan Couture both scored to continue their hot play as of late. London, Ontario's Thornton collected a goal and has registered 15 points (5G, 10A) in his last 11 games. Couture, who hails from Guelph, scored two goals against Columbus and has 19 points (9G, 10A) in his last 14 games. Couture has registered 51 points through 58 games played this season and is just five points back of his rookie season totals from last year when he was a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
Antti Niemi will make his third consecutive appearance in net as he is slated to get the start against the Maple Leafs. The 28-year old Finnish netminder has suffered four straight losses and got pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots in the loss to Columbus.
In his lone career start against Toronto on Jan. 11 of last season, Niemi allowed three goals on 25 shots in the 4-2 loss on home ice.
San Jose Sharks Projected Lines -Subject to change
Forwards
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski
Tommy Wingels - Logan Couture - Ryan Clowe
Jamie McGinn - Dominic Moore - Ben Ferriero
Brad Winchester - Michal Handzus - Andrew Desjardins
Defence
Colin White - Dan Boyle
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Brent Burns
Jason Demers - Justin Braun
Goalies
Antti Niemi
Thomas Greiss
Sharks vs. Leafs gets underway at 7PM ET. The game will be broadcast on the NHL on TSN and AM640.
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