The Maple Leafs hope to bounce back from a hideous effort against one New York based team against the other, as Toronto takes on the New York Islanders at Air Canada Center on Tuesday.
The Islanders are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 37 points, but have been playing much better with goaltender Evgeni Nabokov back from injury(6-3-1 in the last 10 games). The veteran netminder was injured once again in New York’s 7-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday. Team Canada Olympic selection John Tavares had a hat trick and two assists in the game.
Nabokov has been placed on injured reserve, meaning that either backup Kevin Poulin or call up Anders Nilsson will get the call against the Leafs.
The Maple Leafs are sticking with Jonathan Bernier for a sixth straight start.
Bernier allowed five goals on 32 shots and was pulled late in the second period of Saturday's 7-1 loss to the New York Rangers, but James Reimer was equally ineffective allowing two goals on 18 shots in the third period and had another goal disallowed due to an questionable goaltender interference call.
Injured winger David Clarkson took to the ice for an optional skate at the ACC on Tuesday, but left after again testing his sore foot and will not be able to go. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson also skated but will also be scratched to rest a sore elbow.
Recently acquired blueliner Tim Gleason will make his first appearance in Blue and White and will likely take Gunnarsson’s spot alongside Dion Phaneuf on the club’s top pairing.
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Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was not one of the eight defensemen selected for Team Canada, in spite of being invited to the Olympic orientation camp last summer.
Toronto will have three players from their current roster playing in the Sochi games next month.
Wingers Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk were selected for Team USA at the Winter Classic last week and Nikolai Kulemin was chosen today to be part of Team Russia.
Former (and perhaps future) Leaf Leo Komarov has been selected by Team Finland for the upcoming Olympics. The 26-year-old returned to Moscow Dynamo of the KHL after one season in Toronto in part to get more ice time and put up better numbers to increase his chances of being selected for the Sochi games. Komarov has an out in his KHL deal to return to the NHL next season and Toronto retains his rights until July.
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An interesting tidbit from CSN’s Tim Panaccio. The long rumored Luke Schenn for James van Riemsdyk deal that was finally consummated on Draft Day 2012 only occurred after Philadelphia GM Paul Holmgren had turned down an offer from the Phoenix Coyotes. . I keep saying this. GM Don Maloney offered defenseman Keith Yandle for JVR hours before at the draft and Holmgren turned them down.
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