For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to keep piling up points in the race for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, as they take on the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. The Leafs won their first two games after the All-Star break on the road, improving their record to 15-11-0 (3rd most road wins in the NHL), but the club’s success on home ice (12-6-7) may be the determining factor between making or missing the postseason. The contest on Saturday is less about Toronto matching up against their provincial rival or former teammates Connor Brown, Tyler Ennis, Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey and more about the Leafs earning two points. The club received some good news on the out-of-town scoreboard, as Carolina’s regulation loss to Vegas on Friday moved Toronto into the second wildcard spot, but that will have less meaning if they are unable to take advantage and beat a team lower in the standings prior to a critical matchup against Florida on Monday. "I think it's less of a trap game, because we're coming off a break, so you're not really in the grind of the season." Leafs veteran Jason Spezza said about facing his old club. "We know (Ottawa is) playing well. They are a team that has given a lot of teams trouble lately and I think you get into the trap games when you've been grinding for a little bit and maybe you overlook a team. (That) isn't the case. We're trying to get rolling here out of the break and we have important points to get." Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that defenseman Travis Dermott was feeling better after missing practice on Friday due to illness, but that he will not play on Saturday. Kevin Gravel was returned to the AHL Toronto Marlies on Friday and Martin Marincin will get the start and pair up with Tyson Barrie.
Backup Michael Hutchinson will get the start on Saturday. The 29-year-old’s last start was a 3-0 shutout victory against the New York Islanders on January 4, but relieved Frederik Andersen twice in January. The Leafs have a busy February and are opting to rest Andersen in a non back-to-back scenario for only the second time this season. Keefe indicated after the optional morning skate that this will something that the club will do more often down the stretch. "(Getting Hutchinson more starts is) our intention for sure. It has been our intention for the last while. We found some of these (opportunities) before the break too, but we'll take every game and every week really as it comes, but we think this one makes sense for today." Keefe said. "We're trying to reduce the workload for Freddie, but we've got five games here in the next eight days. Fred play two on the road, plus he had the All-Star (weekend)." Andersen is currently on pace to start 64 games this season. The Leafs have only four back-to-backs for the rest of the campaign (including a pair the next two weekends), so if the goal is to make sure that their starter is adequately rested for the final nine weeks of the regular season, they will have to find perhaps a half-dozen more instances to start Hutchinson or another backup. *******
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— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) January 28, 2020