Gameday: Blues at Maple Leafs - Toronto Sun

ST. LOUIS BLUES (1-0-1) at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (2-0-1)

7 p.m., Scotiabank Arena, TSN, TSN Radio 1050

BIG MATCHUP

Ryan O’Reilly vs John Tavares

A couple of battle-worn veteran centres are bound to hook up at some point, with a Auston Matthews/Brayden Schenn matchup potentially  on the card as well. O’Reilly, of course, helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup last spring; Tavares, named Leafs captain last week, was signed in Toronto in 2018 specifically for that purpose. Neither man gives an inch, and each is looking for his first goal of the season. Tavares, after scoring 47 goals in his first year with the Leafs, has just six shots on goal through three games.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Forget the past

The Blues come into Toronto to start a four-game trip with history on their side, having recorded six consecutive wins against the Maple Leafs including three in overtime. St. Louis has allowed just three goals to Toronto in the previous three games at Scotiabank Arena, outscoring it 8-3. The Leafs, in their first two home games of 2019-20, allowed a goal in the first 25 seconds to Ottawa and in the first 68 seconds to Montreal. We bet coach Mike Babcock would advise against a similar muddled start against the defending Cup champs.

2. Keep it simpler

The Leafs’ top power-play unit has scored three goals — two by Auston Matthews, one by Mitch Marner — while the second group has provided one by William Nylander. Much has been made of the talent on each group, and rightfully so, but the No. 1 unit especially might be better off not trying to make the perfect play. Don’t get too cute, in other words. The Blues have been shorthanded just five times in their first two games, with veterans Alexander Steen, Jay Bouwmeester and Colton Parayko among their more effective penalty killers.

3. Missing in action

Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson provided 20 goals each for the Leafs last season and were rewarded with handsome contracts. So far, it’s zeroes across the board for both, with Johnsson recording five shots on goal in three games and Kapanen four. The Leafs’ depth at forward is envied by many clubs, but Kapanen and Johnsson would cement their spots on their respective lines with some actual production. It could be more crucial against a deep Blues group.

4. Matthews’ magic

Through Saturday’s games, Matthews led the NHL with five goals and 16 shots on goal, unleashing a shot that can be equalled by few, if any, across the league. The lone NHL club that Matthews has not scored against in his career is the Calgary Flames, but the production against St. Louis isn’t much better, as Matthews has just one goal in six games. Considering his start, and the fact Matthews has 30 goals in 35 games in October in his career, perhaps the 22-year-old finally solves the Blues on Monday night.

5. Sandman can

Rasmus Sandin has continued in three games what he built in the pre-season, playing sound hockey while demonstrating poise that is beyond his 19 years. All the while, Sandin has not stumbled while his partners, Martin Marincin and Justin Holl, have alternated. It has helped that Sandin is being eased in on the blue line, averaging 10 minutes 36 seconds of ice time. Monday will mark Sandin’s biggest NHL challenge coming against an experienced Blues team. We don’t expect that will be a big problem for the youngster.

MAPLE LEAFS LINES

LW-C-RW

Kasperi Kapanen-John Tavares-Mitch Marner

Andreas Johnsson-Auston Matthews-William Nylander

Ilya Mikheyev-Alex Kerfoot-Trevor Moore

Nic Petan-Jason Spezza-Frederik Gauthier

Defence pairs

Morgan Rielly-Cody Ceci

Jake Muzzin-Tyson Barrie

Rasmus Sandin-Justin Holl

Goaltenders

Frederik Andersen

Michael Hutchinson

BLUES LINES

LW-C-RW

Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Vladimir Tarasenko

Sammy Blais-Ryan O’Reilly-David Perron

Robby Fabbri-Tyler Bozak-Zach Sanford

Ivan Barbashev-Oskar Sundqvist-Alexander Steen

Defence pairs

Carl Gunnarsson-Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmeester-Colton Parayko

Vince Dunn-Justin Faulk/Robert Bortuzzo

Goaltenders

Jordan Binnington

Jake Allen

INJURIES

Blues — RW Robert Thomas (upper body).

Maple Leafs — D Travis Dermott (shoulder), LW Zach Hyman (knee).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power play

Blues: 25% (12th)

Maple Leafs: 40% (4th)

Penalty kill

Blues: 80% (17th)

Maple Leafs: 90.9% (6th)

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October 07, 2019 at 10:33AM