The Maple Leafs must appear dull as dishwater in Delta as they arrived in British Columbia Friday, compared to the news-making Canucks.
But do not for a second believe the multi-distractions of trades, contracts, Quinn Hughes’ health, Elias Pettersson’s slump, internal intrigue and playoff positioning will veer Vancouver from its appointed task. They badly want to lay another beating on Toronto and its fans, who are sure to filter into Rogers Arena Saturday night.
Without counting the stinker the Leafs turned in a month ago when the road-weary Canucks won 3-0 with surprising ease, they’ll be looking for an eighth straight win at home against Toronto and 11th in the past 12 meetings.
Craig Berube is hoping his team has both long and short memories, definitely to atone for getting booed off Bay St. in January, but remembering how well they’ve played this week. Saturday is a chance to not only take away the Canucks’ bragging rights, but sweep the Leafs first ever four-game Western Canada road trip since Seattle was added to the schedule.
“That (loss) was awhile ago, but we do take stuff out of there,” Berube told media after a quick practice at the University of British Columbia. “That was a low-event game for sure. We have to definitely create more. We weren’t good enough.”
With a 4 p.m. local puck drop, Berube didn’t see the need to stay on the ice long and had kept Thursday’s forward lines in place. That’s Max Domi with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies in a continuing attempt to get Domi in on some points and another mix of Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander to sort out what should be a dynamite trio.
“There were times when they had good situations set up (in Seattle) and didn’t execute,” Berube said of latter unit. “Puck execution the whole game was not great by us by any means. If they execute, the line could be very dangerous for sure.”
Hughes (out the past few days with a lower body issue) and the Canucks rested Friday after their 2-1 overtime win in San Jose. This game is a homecoming for Leaf alternate captain Morgan Rielly, who has been playing better of late.
COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES
Matthews continues to stay parked behind Darryl Sittler for second place in franchise goals (389 to 388), the captain at a season-worst five-game goal slump. When sent out Thursday with Seattle’s net empty, he wound up in the penalty box, albeit with an iffy high-stick call.
But the apples are low-hanging for Matthews’s picking, six assists the past three games. So there was a ‘What, me worry?’ look of bemusement when his lack of goals was brought up Friday.
“You want to play better, to score, but the opportunities are there, we’re still producing as a line, the power play has been good and it’s been a pretty good road trip so far. You want to end the road trip on a pretty good note against a good team.”
PENNY FOR THE HALL
Leafs pro scout Mike Penny is among those being inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame in July.
Penny has been with the Leafs since the late Pat Quinn’s days, in capacities such as director of player personnel. While with the Canucks, Penny put the wheels in motion to draft Pavel Bure. Also going into the B.C. hall are former NHLers Dan Hamhuis and Shawn Horcoff.
LOOSE LEAFS
Putting on his Team USA hat for next week’s start of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Matthews says he’s not spoken to future teammate Hughes about his condition. “I was really looking forward to the opportunity of playing with him. I don’t know what the situation is, but it would be an unfortunate loss for us” … Many Leafs got a giggle out of Matthew Knies’ attempt to sell Jake McCabe as the scorer of Thursday’s third goal, to throw off suspicion whether he himself deflected it with a high stick. Knies waited for McCabe to go first down the celebratory fist bump line. “Maybe he doesn’t realize there’s a thousand cameras no matter what happens,” Matthews said. “But I appreciate the effort on that for sure” … Friday was the 49th anniversary of Sittler’s 10-point game against the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens.
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