The Standard (St. Catharines)

Brown getting Matthews duty

‘The guys who play the best are supposed to play’: Babcock

- LANCE HORNBY

CALGARY — Two things you can’t predict one minute to the next in these parts are winter weather and Mike Babcock’s forward lines.

The newest twist for the Toronto coach ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames, at the Scotiabank Saddledome, was making Connor Brown Auston Matthews’s right winger, at the expense of William Nylander, who will start on the fourth unit. But, unlike last year, nothing is carved in stone with Babcock, who says the extra depth gives him more options this time around. Brown ended up with Matthews as the lines changed on Saturday in a 4-2 home loss to Washinggto­n.

“I like Brownie because he comes to work every day,” Babcock said after the morning skate.

“He brings it. He’s good with the puck, he’s good without it. It doesn’t matter what line you start him on, he just finds a way to play all the time. That’s what’s supposed to happen in hockey. When the games start the guys who play the best are supposed to play. Guys who don’t aren’t supposed to play as much.”

Whether Babcock is just fulfilling his earlier prediction that the hustling Brown wasn’t long for the fourth line or if he’s back on Nylander’s case for more intensity, will become clear as the Calgary game unfolds. Babcock’s earlier assertions that Matthews and Mitch Marner would not start together turned out different as the Leafs struggled in various areas during which they’ve lost three of the past four. Zach Hyman remains on leading scorer Matthews’s left side, giving him two tireless puck pursuers instead of the more fluid Nylander.

The Flames have Johnny Gaudreau, tied for second in NHL scoring as part of a dangerous line with Sean Monohan and Micheal Ferland. Lately, Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan has matched them against the power lines on other clubs.

“We have another level our team can go to,” Gaudreau said. “This is another test for us. We have to be smart with our game and not worry about what (the Leafs) are doing.”

Gaudreau missed the Leafs’ last visit a year ago with a broken hand.

“It was my first real injury so it was kind of frustratin­g, but this season has been going well. The three of us are playing at the top of our game right now.”

Gulutzan will be without injured ex-Leaf forward Kris Versteeg (lower body) which will affect Calgary’s power play, but goalie Mike Smith is 100 per cent after some rest and likely to cause the Leafs some trouble with his puck handling after making stops. Frederik Andersen starts for the Leafs, who were blanked 3-0 here a year ago before they parted ways with Jhonas Enroth as their backup. Andersen’s record against the Flames is 5-0-1. Roman Polak is also likely to play on the third defence pair with Andreas Borgman, leaving Connor Carrick out.

“The neutral zone will be important tonight, no team wants to turn over the puck,” Gulutzan said. “We hit the ball into the net way more than we need to with unforced errors. The league is actually direct and simple and we get a little too fancy sometimes.”

 ?? JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES ?? Toronto Maple Leafs’ winger Connor Brown skates up ice during a penalty kill at the BB&T Center, in Sunrise, Fla. Brown will start the on Auston Matthews’ right wing during the Leafs’ game against the Calgary Flames, as per coach Mike Babcock.
JOEL AUERBACH/GETTY IMAGES Toronto Maple Leafs’ winger Connor Brown skates up ice during a penalty kill at the BB&T Center, in Sunrise, Fla. Brown will start the on Auston Matthews’ right wing during the Leafs’ game against the Calgary Flames, as per coach Mike Babcock.

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