For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs return from their Christmas break on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Friday. The contest will be the rubber match of the season series, as each team won 4-2 decisions on home ice last month and the first of back-to-back games for the Leafs, who will take on the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. The Blue Jackets won 4-3 over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday on a Pierre-Luc Dubois overtime goal. Backup Joonas Korpisalo got the victory in the first of back-to-back games for Columbus, which means that Toronto will face starter Sergei Bobrovsky. Head coach Mike Babcock was displeased with the effort of his club at practice on Thursday and is concerned that they are not sluggish out of the gate in their first action in four days. “(Columbus) will have their hands and their brain back.… Babcock said. “We practiced yesterday and it was very evident that we had a few days off, but ideally you have to survive that first ten (minutes) and take care of the puck and get on them instead of them on you.… It appears that the Leafs will depart from their usual practice of going with Frederik Andersen in the first of back-to-back games, as the starter did extra work at their optional morning skate Friday morning. Garret Sparks (5-1-1, 3.00 GAA, .908 save %) struggled in Toronto’s 5-4 overtime win against Detroit on Sunday, but will likely get his second straight start, with Andersen going against the Islanders on Saturday. If this is the case, Andersen will have been given a full week of rest since his last start against the Rangers, a welcome break for the NHL’s third busiest goaltender with 30 starts. Following Saturday’s game, the Leafs will have another four day respite before a rare weekday afternoon game against Minnesota next Thursday. Toronto recalled Trevor Moore from the Toronto Marlies after demoting him in a cost-saving move before the break. The winger will play on the fourth line with Par Lindholm and Frederik Gauthier. The only lineup change will be the return of defenseman Igor Ozhiganov, who will resume his duties on the bottom pairing with Travis Dermott after missing three games with the flu. *******
The fourth of the Leafs prospects participating in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Tournament made his debut on Wednesday, as goaltender Ian Scott played well in a 3-2 Canada victory over Switzerland. The 19-year-old allowed two goals on 17 shots against the much tougher Swiss after goaltender Michael DiPietro faced only 14 shots in a 14-0 shutout win over Denmark.
Great save by Maple Leafs prospect Ian Scott.https://t.co/dUVlk4WQBW#WJC2019 #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/nFS0BoLG5i
— Eliteprospects (@eliteprospects) December 28, 2018