The Maple Leafs practiced indoors at the MasterCard Center in Etobicoke, ON Monday before departing for Michigan in advance of Wednesday’s Winter Classic against the Detroit Red Wings at the University of Michigan’s “Big House” in Ann Arbor, MI.
Toronto goes into the New Year’s Day spectacle on a positive note, winning two post-Christmas games against Buffalo and Carolina and moving them into a tie with the Wings in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Leafs were able to overcome their flaws and took advantage of mistakes made by their opposition in a 5-2 victory over the Hurricanes at Air Canada Center on Sunday night. Jonathan Bernier was again solid in a 41 save effort, Phil Kessel scored his club-leading 19th and 20th goals of the season and Tyler Bozak registered three assists in his first game in nearly a month.
Toronto led 1-0 after the first, as Kessel scored on a backhand shot that deflected off of Canes goalie Cam Ward’s glove. Carolina tied the game just 1:36 into the middle frame, as Alexander Semin beat Jake Gardiner to the puck and fed a wide open Nathan Gerbe for his ninth goal of the season.
The Leafs were outplayed for most of the second, as Carolina won the majority of the battles for the puck and hurled 16 shots at Bernier, but Toronto jumped out to a two goal lead as Kessel’s goalmouth pass went off Canes defenseman Ron Hainsey into the net and Kulemin scored 1:16 later after on a Jeff Skinner turnover in his own zone, but Carolina closed to within one goal before the end of the period on the power play, as Justin Faulk’s one-timer from the point deflected off of Cody Franson’s stick past Bernier.
The Leafs stepped up their physical play and began to pull away in the final 20 minutes, as David Clarkson returned from a lengthy absence in the second and made his presence felt in front of the net and along the boards. Clarkson laid out Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu with a clean check near the Leafs bench and disrupted Ward on Paul Ranger’s goal to make it 4-2. Dion Phaneuf scored into the empty net in the waning seconds to ice away the Leafs 20th win of the season.
After the game, Leafs coach Randy Carlyle was pleased with the club’s effort and was happy to have his top center back in the lineup.
“We think a lot of the player(Bozak) by the number of minutes he plays.” Carlyle said. “He’s a smart hockey player and he does a lot of little things that don’t get noticed on the scoresheet and puts himself in the position to be the safety valve for the other two players he’s playing with.”
Clarkson was absent from practice on Monday after having his elbow stitched up during the second period, as winger Jerry D’Amigo skated with Jay McClement and Nikolai Kulemin. Center Peter Holland was also absent due to a death in the family, but both players are expected to travel with the team to Detroit later today.
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Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports that the contract particulars have essentially been agreed to(seven years, $49 Million with a limited no-trade/no move clause), but that the announcement is being delayed so that it will be part of the final episode of HBO's 24/7 to be aired next weekend.
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