The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their five-game home stand against the San Jose Sharks at Air Canada Center on Tuesday and are hoping to break through offensively and not come up against another hot goaltender.
The Leafs are 1-2-1 in December, thanks in part to stellar netminding from Ryan Miller, who made 38 saves in a 3-2 Canucks shootout win on December 3rd, Devan Dubnyk’s 35-save effort in a 3-2 Wild victory last Wednesday and Semyon Varlamov’s superb 51 stops in a 3-1 Avalanche win on Sunday.
“I saw lots of play on the (offensive) zone, we didn’t score. We haven’t scored in a bit, so we’re going have to score tonight to have success.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the morning skate. “(San Jose) plays a simple, direct, straight-ahead forecheck grind-type game, so we are gonna have to keep them off our (defense).…
Mike Babcock’s club has lost two straight at ACC after starting the season with an 8-3-0 record and will be in tough against the reigning Western Conference champions, who are 16-11-1, two points in back of the Anaheim Ducks for top spot in the Pacific and currently in a wild card spot.
Martin Jones(13-10-0-1, 2.08 GAA, .920 save %), who led the Sharks to their first Stanley Cup Final last season, has lost two straight and will get the start after backup Aaron Dell got the victory in Carolina on Saturday.
Frederik Andersen got a rare night off on Sunday, as rookie Antoine Bibeau made 26 saves in his NHL debut on Sunday. The big Dane’s career-high is 53 starts (in 2014-15 with Anaheim) and is currently on pace to exceed 60 games for the first time in his NHL career.
“There is 82 games, when you been a goalie that (alternated) with the other guy, you played 41. 62 seems like quite a bit more.… Babcock said. “So that means the other guy has to play 20 (the Leafs have 18 back-to-back games). “
Andersen is expected to make all four starts during the home stand with a day of rest in between each game.
Toronto will go with the same lineup that suited up on Sunday. Babcock indicated that defenseman Martin Marincin will be “out for a bit… after being tripped into the end boards by Boston’s David Krejci on Saturday.
The Leafs have not placed Marincin on injured reserve and currently have seven defensemen available. The absence of Marincin will be an opportunity for youngster Connor Carrick to get regular playing time, instead of being rotated in and out of the lineup. If another injury occurs or Carrick does not play up to expectations, it could lead to Frank Corrado getting some much overdue playing time, or possibly the recall of Viktor Loov or Rinat Valiev from the AHL Marlies.
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