Tonight (Jan. 6), the Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking to take a perfect 3-0 record away from California. Should they be able to beat the San Jose Sharks, they will push their winning streak to three games. The result? A perfect western road trip.
But watch out. Given the fact that the Sharks have been struggling and the history of the Maple Leafs this season, could it be that the team from Toronto is going to tank another one? It’s been their modus operandi this season? The Sharks are in the midst of a 10-game losing streak and are desperate to win. The Maple Leafs play down to opponents.
In this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll take a look at the game and some of the news that’s been emerging from the team.
Item One: The Maple Leafs Western Trip So Far
In their last two games, the Maple Leafs beat both the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks game was a siege against a great young goalie in Lukas Dostal. Dostal had one of the best games I’ve ever seen a goalie play, making a Ducks’ franchise-record 55 saves in the 2-1 overtime loss. He was exceptional.
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In the Ducks’ win, Auston Matthews led the charge by scoring his game-winning, NHL-leading 30th goal of the season in overtime. With the goal, Matthews marked his eighth straight season with 30 or more goals. He was a determined difference-maker in the game.
Item Two: Martin Jones Will Start Tonight in San Jose
Martin Jones is set to start in goal tonight against his old Sharks team. Except for a glitch or two, Jones has been solid in the crease since his recall from the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies in early December. He now has put up a 6-3-0 record, a growing .930 save percentage, and a 2.21 goals-against-average (GAA) in 10 games played.
In his two most recent games, he’s stopped 58 of 59 shots. In the Kings’ game, he tossed a 31-save shutout on Tuesday (Jan. 4). Then he came back on Wednesday (Jan. 5) to stop 27 of 28 shots against the Ducks. He’s looked confident in the crease.
Item Three: Toronto Maple Leafs Two All-Star Contenders
Earlier this week, the Maple Leafs’ Matthews was named to the upcoming NHL All-Star Game. There’s no issue with that call by the NHL. Matthews’ goal-scoring pace is remarkable and makes him a frontrunner for another Rocket Richard Trophy. However, will there be a second Maple Leafs player named to the All-Star event? And, if so, which of the two potential representatives might it be?
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Meanwhile, the choices for a second Toronto representative likely fall between Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Marner, for him, is not having a stellar season. Still, he is in the NHL’s top 25 scorers. He’s been a consistent and valuable player for his team. Plus, the All-Star Game is being held in his hometown. He would be a good choice.
Yet, William Nylander would be my choice. All season, he’s been putting up long points streaks. He would have had more streaks, except one has to stop before another starts, and his streaks just don’t seem to stop. He’s in the top five in NHL scoring. For fans who are voting, the excitement on-the-ice factor would likely tip my choice toward Nylander. Few players generate as many thrills per shift as Nylander can.
It will be interesting to see if either of the players garners enough votes from Toronto fans to make the All-Star Game. It’s hard to tell from reading the comments on posts whether they would be rah-rah enough to vote for one of their players.
The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs and Sharks Game Tonight
One interesting matchup tonight against the Sharks will be the Maple Leafs power-play unit against the Sharks’ penalty kill. During their recent losing streak, the Sharks have given up 23 goals in 32 penalty kill attempts. That’s about as poor a showing as a special teams unit can have. Can the Sharks stop the Maple Leafs power play tonight?
The Maple Leafs have the eighth-ranked power play in the NHL. Tonight, they meet a Sharks team with a penalty-killing percentage that is 28th in the league (at 72.9 percent efficiency). In the end, that single factor could be the difference between whether the Maple Leafs move their winning streak to three games or the Sharks break their 10-game skid.
