Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk at the center of Team USA's offense, as both Leafs assist on Cam Fowler's tying goal in the second period.
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The three members of the Toronto Maple Leafs playing at the Winter Olympics in Sochi will all be reunited on Saturday, as Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Team USA face Nikolai Kulemin and the host Russians at the Bolshoy Ice Dome.
Kessel and van Riemsdyk were key contributors in an offensive explosion by the Americans on Thursday, as each registered three points in a 7-1 romp of Slovakia. Kulemin played on a checking line with Artem Anisimov and Vladimir Tarasenko and had three shots on goal in an unexpectedly close 5-2 win for Russia over Slovenia.
The two Leafs wingers and center Joe Pavelski along with the line of Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler and Dustin Brown will likely go head-to-head against Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Semin and Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Alexander Radulov, but the deciding factor in the game may lie on the blueline, as the Russians group is considered their weak spot and Americans have a mobile but inexperienced defensive corps.
The winner of Saturday's match will have the inside track on finishing in first place in Group A, which will earn a bye to the tournament quarter-finals.
Sergey Bobrovsky will start in goal for Russia, while Jonathan Quick will get his second straight start for Team USA.
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Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown his 40th goal and added an assist in the Erie Otters 3-1 win over the Barrie Colts on Friday. The 20-year-old Brown leads the OHL in scoring with 109 points and an impressive +39 in 54 games for the Otters.
According to an article from Michael Traikos of the National Post, the improvement and growth of the young winger is extremely encouraging to the Toronto organization, but there are still questions whether Brown can transfer this level of success in junior to professional hockey.
One key to his improvement is an increase in Brown’s physical strength. As a 17-year-old, the Toronto native weighed 140 pounds, but was able to score 25 goals and 28 assists in his rookie season with Erie.
After being drafted by the Leafs in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, his offensive numbers improved slightly the following season((28G, 41A in 63 games). Now at 5’11… and 170 lbs, Brown has now skyrocketed in his third year of junior.
“There’s been a lot of guys who have put up big numbers in the OHL at that size.… Mark Seidel, chief scout for North American Central Scouting said. “But I think it’s certainly something Leafs fans should be excited about. He’s taken giant, giant steps.…
An indicator of how good Brown could be will happen after the end of the Otters season, when he signs an amateur tryout contract and plays for the Marlies at the end of their regular season or during the Calder Cup playoffs.
If Brown shows some offensive poise and ability to score goals in the AHL, then Toronto may have a gem on their hands.
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