Leafs fans don’t have muchto gripe about

The worst time to get injured is right before the playoffs. But the best time to come back from an injury is right before the playoffs. Just ask Chicago’s Patrick Kane, who missed the final month of 2014-15, but looked refreshed when he returned for Game 1 of the post-season, recording 23 points in 23 games en route to winning a Stanley Cup. That bodes well for Toronto’s Auston Matthews, as well as Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy.

Toronto fans are griping that the Maple Leafs (thirdbest record in the East) will likely play the second-place Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, but it doesn’t get much easier in the West, where Minnesota (fourthbest record) looks like it could see Winnipeg (third best). “It’s going to be a dogfight,” said Wild forward Eric Staal. “But it’s the same for everybody. Everyone’s legit. Everyone that gets in there — even the teams that the No. 1 and No. 2 (seeds) are going to face — are going to give it to you. That’s just the way that it is.”

The most intriguing UFA this summer is not John Tavares or Rick Nash or even Joe Thornton. It’s Carter Hutton. The St. Louis Blues backup goalie, who has played 30 games, has a league-best 2.02 goalsagainst average and .934 save percentage for a team that gave up on the playoffs. The only downside is that he’s 32. But if Carolina’s Scott Darling can get a fouryear, US$16.6-million contract, expect Hutton to get paid. and praise has been directed at Jets sniper Patrik Laine during this 13-game point streak (16 goals, 23 points), linemate Nikolaj Ehlers has been producing lately as well. He’s got seven goals and 14 points during his last 16 games and is closing in on a 30-goal campaign.

After returning from the six-game road trip with a record of 3-2-1, the Jets will play eight of the final 12 games of the regular season on home ice — where they’ve posted a record of 24-7-2. The Jets will look to try to solidify their standing as the second-place team in the Central when they open a six-game homestand.