Maple Leafs (30-19-2) at Oilers (32-15-4)
WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet RADIO: FAN 590
ODDS
Toronto -175, Edmonton +145
THE BUZZ
The two projected stars of the principal teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off get most the attention — and wouldn’t it be great if respective coaches Craig Berube and Kris Knoblauch start and keep Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid head-to-head on a national telecast? … While the Leafs seek to stop a three-game skid from becoming a season high four defeats, the Oilers let a valuable point slip away Thursday, letting Detroit back in an eventual 3-2 shootout loss … Edmonton, with a record of 22-6-2 since U.S. Thanksgiving and 14 of those triumphs at home, seeks its first division title since 1987, back in the Smythe Division and the days of an 80-game schedule … The teams’ previous meeting, Nov. 16 in Toronto, was a 4-3 Toronto win on Mitch Marner’s overtime goal after McDavid had one and an assist and Leon Draisaitl tied it late.
THE NEWS
John Tavares and Matthew Knies worked out on their regular lines for the Leafs, who’ve had to try bottom six players in unfamiliar positions of late, while goalie Anthony Stolarz is close to a return next week, too … The Leafs have been dislodged from top spot in the Atlantic by Florida for the first time in a few weeks and don’t look now, but Ottawa is just four points behind … Matthews was named captain of Team USA’s 4 Nations entry on Thursday, McDavid as Sidney Crosby’s alternate for Canada … The Oilers Quarter Century all-star team was revealed Thursday and the present is prominent in their past. Five of the first six are current, with McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins up front with Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse on the blueline … Going by Friday’s practice lines it appeared the Leafs will sit winger Ryan Reaves. That removes a potential distraction of what might carry over from Reaves concussing Nurse in the November game with a questionable hit, costing the Leaf a five-game suspension and sparking chirps between the two … News of a projected upper limit in the salary cap of $113.5 million US by 2027-28 will be good vibes for the stars on both teams and particularly to Marner who is unsigned after this season and wants to stay with cap-strapped Toronto.
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THE QUOTE
“Guys are excited. We get the 5 p.m. (local) start time, which is always nice. They come into our building and we have to change our schedule, but it is what it is, always fun to play the Leafs. They have some special players over there.” — McDavid to media in Edmonton about the prime-time game.
THE POLL
Which active NHL superstar continues to be toughest on the Leafs?
- Connor McDavid
- Alex Ovechkin
- Sidney Crosby
- Nikita Kucherov
THE PROJECTED LEAFS LINEUP
Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty – John Tavares – William Nylander
Bobby McMann – Max Domi – Nick Robertson
Pontus Holmberg – David Kampf – Steven Lorentz
Defence
Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit – Conor Timmins
Goal
Joseph Woll
Matt Murray/Anthony Stolarz
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