FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1 Three periods, not two
If the Leafs stand any reasonable chance of winning, they are going to have to pay much closer attention to the little details, something that escaped them in the third period on Tuesday night in Tampa. On top of that, the Leafs will have to demonstrate against the top club in the NHL that they are mentally strong after blowing a three-goal lead to the Lightning.
2 Matthews returns
Auston Matthews has said this season before returning from a couple of injuries that it’s all about his hands and rhythm and getting his wind back upon getting on the ice again. After missing a month, he’s going to have to be sharp from his first shift against a Predators team that is deep at forward and on the blue line. It’s going to be a challenge for the 20-year-old.
3 Andersen and concentration
When the Leafs had defensive breakdowns in Tampa, Frederik Andersen, in his first game after missing two-plus games with an upper-body injury, was not there to make the required saves. As Mike
Babcock said simply after that game, “We didn’t give up that much … the puck went in.” Andersen has to rebound versus the Predators.
More power?
It’s said all the time, but games that have the potential to be tight often are decided on special teams. The Leafs now stand at nine goals on their past 15 power-play chances in six games. And while the Predators have been great on the penalty kill on the road, not so at home, where they are 19th. This is where
Pekka Rinne can be a difference.
5 Eyes on P.K.
The talented P.K. Subban loves to wind up from the point, but he has not had much success against the Leafs in his career, scoring four goals in 32 games. “We have try to put pressure on him and force him to make plays that he might not want to make,” Leafs centre Nazem Kadri said. “If (gets the shot off), we are going to have to be prepared to block it.”