The Maple Leafs second home game would have been quite a spectacle had Steven Stamkos switched Blue and White uniforms over the summer, but the Markham, ON native’s decision to re-sign with the Lightning makes the contest between Toronto and Tampa Bay just the first meeting of Atlantic Division rivals.
“I made the decision to say with the team that drafted and brought me up as an 18-year-old kid.” Stamkos said on Tuesday morning “(Tampa is) my second home now. Like I said, there are no regrets and I’m looking forward to hopefully winning another game here on a road trip.”
Tampa Bay is 4-1-0 to start the season, which should not be a surprise since GM Steve Yzerman brought back most of the club that made the Stanley Cup and Eastern Conference Final in consecutive seasons and is a leading candidate to come out of the East this year.
Lightning goalie Ben Bishop will make his fourth start of the season. The pending unrestricted free agent is 2-1, with a 3.68 GAA and .861 save percentage.
Changes are afoot with the Maple Leafs, who waived winger Milan Michalek and claimed forward Ben Smith from the Colorado Avalanche. Michalek cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL Toronto Marlies on Tuesday. Smith was given the Czech winger’s number #18 and skated on a fourth line unit with Matt Martin and Peter Holland at the morning skate at Air Canada Center.
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Connor Brown replaced Michalek on a line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov, with the hope that the speedy rookie will shake up the chemistry of the pair who were on the ice for three goals against in Chicago on Saturday.
Head coach Mike Babcock also rearranged the club’s defensive pairings, shifting Morgan Rielly to the left side and pairing him with KHL import Nikita Zaitsev, Jake Gardiner alongside veteran Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick paired with Connor Carrick.
It is a move made out of necessity, with Martin Marincin andCarrick not playing well with increased ice time during the club’s recent road trip. Zaitsev, a veteran of seven KHL seasons, is second on the Leafs in points (3) and second in TOI (22:22 per game).
Frederik Andersen will make his fifth start for Toronto and hopes to bounce back from some early season struggles. The big Dane is 1-0-3, with a 3.64 GAA and .879 save percentage.
Babcock was questioned about Andersen’s slow start, the Leafs history of goaltending struggles over the last dozen years and the assertion of Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry that the club’s netminding has been ‘lousy’.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve only been here for one (year).” the Leafs coach said. “Oh, okay. Now I know where I’m getting my facts from. Here we go. Come on. Let’s move on. What’s next here? Holy(bleep).
This is what I’d tell you. We think we’ve got a really good goaltender. At the World Cup, I had three outstanding goaltenders. They all talked about how much time it usually takes you to get ready. Our guy didn’t have that opportunity because of his injury. We’re real comfortable with him. Do we think he’s played as well as he’s capable of playing? No. Do we think he’s going to? Yes.”
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