Leafs aim to foil Devils’ road show
• Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly is piling up some points of late and that’s helped cover the shortfall created by the absence of Auston Matthews in the three games he has been away. The club has won all three in his absence, but even if he’s back, the Leafs will need Rielly to stay hot.
For New Jersey, goaltender Cory Schneider will once again be one of the keys for the Devils. The Massachusetts native has a record of 7-1 against Toronto with a .927 save percentage.
Here are five keys to the game:
1. ANCHORS AWAY
The Devils road show is a hit thus far. They have won six of seven, including Oct. 11 in their first game at the Air Canada Centre when they halted the 3- 0 Leafs in their tracks. Jersey is halfway to last year’s total of 12 away wins. Only the Tampa Bay Lightning had a better road mark before Wednesday’s games. The Devils hope to have injured forward Travis Zajac back after surgery.
2. LIFE OF BRIAN
Many players hate going up against big Brian Boyle, but the Leafs will be happy to see their former teammate from last year’s playoff run able to play after his early season treatment for leukemia enabled him to continue his career. Boyle, who shed a couple of tears after he scored his first goal of the season against Edmonton last week, has played seven games so far.
3. MARLEAU A GOAL GETTER
With goals in t hr e e straight games (Saturday in Boston was an empty netter) Patrick Marleau is hoping to extend his run, though he’ll be back on left wing if Matthews returns.
4. WOOD YOU BELIEVE ...
While Randy Wood was playing for Cliff Fletcher’s Leafs in 1995, son Miles was born in his old NHL city in Buffalo. Miles has taken a shine to games against To- ronto, with three points in four games against the Leafs, including a two- goal effort here last month. After a stretch without a point, he had a hat trick and an assist against the Blackhawks in Jersey’s last win.
5. FACE THE FACTS
The Devils have t he league’s second worst faceoff winning percentage, in the 46 per cent range. If Matthews is back, it won’t get any easier for them to improve that number.