For the latest Leafs updates, Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to avoid the “Vegas flu… in their final game of 2017 against the Golden Knights on Sunday afternoon. The league’s 31st team surprisingly leads the Western Conference with 52 points in part to their 15-2-1 record at at T-Mobile Arena, which has partially been aided by their opposition enjoying the many distractions of the Las Vegas strip. The Maple Leafs are not following the playbook of the teams before them, as GM Lou Lamoriello told Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston that the club is staying 25 minutes away from the arena and are all business in their first visit to Sin City. More concerning for Toronto is the fact that the red-hot Golden Knights have had two days of rest after beating Los Angeles in overtime and the Leafs are playing their third game in four nights and last of 10 December road games before heading home for a two-week, six-game home stand. Toronto has earned three of a possible four points with a 7-4 win over Arizona on Thursday and a 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. With Saturday being an off/travel day and the game being a 12:30 local start in Vegas (3:30 EST), the Leafs are not expected to hold a morning skate. Frederik Andersen is the likely starter after Calvin Pickard made 24 saves in his Leafs debut on Friday. Nazem Kadri was a scratch against the Avalanche with an upper body injury/concussion and while being a game-time decision, based on the careful treatment that the Leafs medical staff gave Auston Matthews earlier this month, it is very possible that Kadri will be held out of the next few games. Martin Marincin is also likely to remain in the lineup against Vegas, after Connor Carrick’s bad outing against Arizona and Marincin playing mistake free against Colorado and getting a glowing endorsement head coach Mike Babcock after the game.
“(Marincin) has been here for a bit and we just thought it was a good opportunity. I thought Marty played real well.… Head coach Gerard Gallant indicated that Malcolm Subban will start in goal for the Golden Knights. ******* Team Canada will have to await Sunday’s game results to find out who they will face in the quarter-final of the 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo, but their 8-0 destruction of Denmark on Saturday.
Brett Howden scored twice, Robert Thomas, Sam Steel, Cale Makar, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod and Drake Batherson scored for Canada and goaltender Carter Hart made 18 saves for the shutout, which clinched top spot in Group A.
#GoBolts prospect Brett Howden makes it 2-0 Canada with a backhand shot into the open net. pic.twitter.com/mCMIhTYp0P
— Janik Beichler (@JanikBeichler) December 31, 2017
Terrific sequence by #Leafs prospect Timothy Liljegren. #TMLTalk pic.twitter.com/Rj0093b2Kl
— Janik Beichler (@JanikBeichler) December 30, 2017
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