The Toronto Maple Leafs hope that history will repeat itself in the wake of their current losing streak. The six game slide following a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings just over two weeks ago is their longest of the season, eclipsing the four game skein that followed the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. Following those January losses, Toronto rebounded with six straight wins and vaulted into the upper echelon of the Atlantic Division.
Wins over the Ducks and Kings during the five game March road trip were unexpected and perhaps gave the young group a false sense of relief and security, which now is clearly gone since Toronto has slipped into a four way tie for the last two Eastern Conference playoff spots. The Leafs will be looking for a repeat of their January turnaround, as they take on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday.
The Flyers have been in a mini-slump, with regulation losses to Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Division rival Rangers this week, but look to be in good position to make the post-season after an 0-3 start cost coach Peter Laviolette his job. Under Craig Berube, the Flyers are 13 games over .500 (38-24-7) thanks to solid goaltending from former Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason and the recovery of star center Claude Giroux after a slow start.
Leafs coach Randy Carlyle tinkered slightly with his line combinations on Thursday, moving Mason Raymond up to play with Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul and shifting Nikolai Kulemin to play with Dave Bolland and David Clarkson and may go with 11 forwards and seven defenseman if Paul Ranger is medically cleared after suffering a concussion last week. With the pressure mounting on his club, Carlyle is taking a positive approach in trying to coax his club out of their recent skid.
“I think there’s a lot of negatives that are floating out, I don’t think that has to come from the coaching staff.… Carlyle said in Philadelphia Friday morning. “Our job is to try to provide a template for these players to feel comfortable that they can go out and have success. Some days it is a little bit more harsh, some days it’s a pat on the back, some days it’s a hug. Whatever you deem you feel is necessary. I’m sure nobody feels like coming to work and getting ground into the dirt every day."
The Leafs did get help from an unlikely source, as the Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the third period in a 5-4 win over the Red Wings in Detroit. The Wings remain at 80 points and have a game in hand on Toronto, but the Leafs have an opportunity to move two points in front before their final meeting with Detroit at the ACC on Saturday.
The Blue Jackets are in action on Friday as well, as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena. The Penguins have lost three straight games this week and will be without center Evgeni Malkin, who is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a foot injury, but Columbus will go with backup Curtis McElhinney as Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky is out with the flu.
Jonathan Bernier and Steve Mason oppose each other for the third time this season. Bernier has both victories over the Flyers and makes his second straight start since returning from a strained groin.
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The Leafs chance of making the playoffs went up slightly with the Detroit loss to Montreal. According to the SportsClubStats.com website, Toronto’s odds improved from 25% to 29.2%. What may give Toronto some help is the dogfight between the Habs and Lightning for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Tampa Bay trails Montreal by two points with two games in hand. Both teams play Detroit one more time, while the Lightning has games remaining against the Blue Jackets, Capitals and Leafs in the final week of the season.
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