Flyers-Maple Leafs preview: Will Auston Matthews play?
The Leafs, with 12 victories over their last 16 games, are the NHL's hottest team. They also are an astounding 10-2-1 in one-goal games.
Maple Leafs (20-10-1) at Flyers (11-11-7)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday.
WHERE: Wells Fargo Center
BROADCAST & STREAMING: TV– NBCSP; radio–93.3 FM.
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Twitter, @BroadStBull @samdonnellon
KEY PLAYERS: Start with the headline: Auston Matthews might miss his second consecutive game with what the team has termed an upper-body injury that seemingly involved his head. Matthews, who has 13 goals and 13 assists in 26 games so far, collided with teammate Morgan Rielly late in the third period of the Leafs' 4-3 victory over the Penguins on Saturday night. The 20-year-old also missed four games in November with what was also called an upper-body injury. Radko Gudas returns to the Flyers lineup after missing 10 games because of a suspension. When the Flyers beat Toronto on Oct. 28, Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen was struggling. Now his save percentage is up to .922, ranked in the league's top 10.
Save Pct. Leaders
(Min. 20 games played)
THINGS TO KNOW: The Leafs, with 12 victories over their last 16 games, are the NHL's hottest team. They are an astounding 10-2-1 in one-goal games. In Mike Babcock's first two seasons as their coach, the Leafs lost 50 such games. They are also 5-0 with Matthews missing from the lineup. Without him during a 1-0 victory over Edmonton on Sunday, Babcock reunited wingers Zach Hyman and Connor Brown with William Nylander, who was moved to center. The three last played together when they were with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Only Arizona and Buffalo, the NHL's two worst teams, have a worse home record this season than the Flyers' 4-6-4 mark at the Wells Fargo Center.
HEAD TO HEAD:
Including playoffs, the Flyers own a 117-75-22 record all-time against the Leafs. They are 68-31-8 at home. They won their previous matchup in Toronto, 4-2, back on Oct. 28. The teams split their two games last season.
STATS: Flyers | Maple Leafs
COMING GAMES:
Thursday: 7 p.m. Buffalo
Saturday: 7 p.m. Dallas
Monday: 7 p.m. Los Angeles