Kadri on the hunt for elusive first goal

High-flying Leafs meet Cup champion Caps

Five games in and Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, coming off back-toback 32-goal seasons, remains in search of his first goal this season.

Kadri will likely go up against Lars Eller at evenstrength when Toronto matches up against the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals in Washington on Saturday night, which diminishes his chances of getting that elusive goal.

Kadri might want to forget he’s had just four goals in 20 career games against Washington. Eller can get under an opponent’s skin (right, Brad Marchand?) and should enjoy a tussle going up against Kadri throughout the evening.

Here are 5 Things to watch for in this game:

Lock it down

The Leafs can’t get away from themselves like they did in Detroit. It’s one thing to allow a sub-par Red Wings team to control the game in the final 20 minutes while managing to win, it’s another to allow the dangerous and experienced Capitals, at any point in the game, the same kind of freedom.

Play with fire

Through the first 10 days of the season, only seven teams have been shorthanded more often than Washington, which has been down 15 times. Caps penaltykillers have been good on 12 of those short-handed situations. But as we’ve seen, the Leafs don’t need numerous chances to score on power plays. The power play could tip the scales on Saturday.

Work the circle

Auston Matthews has been winning faceoffs, clipping along at a Leafs-high 55.5 per cent (29th overall in the NHL). The Caps are carrying just a 43 per cent in Corsi (shot attempt differential), and part of the reason is their abysmal showing at the dot, sitting in 30th at 42 per cent. The Leafs are a shade over 50 per cent in Corsi.

On the spot

John Tavares’ hot start with the Leafs — six goals and four assists in four games — has been overshadowed, if only a bit, by Matthews and Morgan Rielly. On an inferior New York Islanders team, Tavares did fine against Washington, recording 30 points (15 goals and 15 assists) in 34 games. Don’t expect Tavares to stray from the scoresheet.

Caps crunched

The Capitals were beaten 6-0 by the Devils on Thursday. Washington expects a hungry Toronto group. “Years past, I remember playing games against the team that won (the Cup) and using it as a measuring stick,” defenceman Matt Niskanen said. “We’ll have to learn how to deal with that.”