Leafs look to keep up hot streak against slumping Flames
1 year ago
If there was ever a game with two teams going in different directions, this is it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently find themselves on a 5-0-1 stretch, or as Pierre LeBrun would call it, a “lossless” streak. In fact, the last time the Leafs lost in regulation was against the Flames, and also Frederik Andersen’s last game before his injury. And they haven’t just been getting by during this stretch, they’ve been outright dominating their opponents, with a 62.61% xGF% in that span. The last time the Leafs had a game with less than a 58% xGF% was March 14th against the Ottawa Senators.
The Calgary Flames have not been doing that. After a solid 3-1-1 start after hiring Darryl Sutter, the Flames have gone 2-7 and made it highly unlikely that they get into the playoffs, and extremely disappointing result for a team that was, on paper, the second best in the division. During that nine game stretch, they have a 46.85% xGF%, which definitely won’t cut it. They’ve struggled to find their consistency all season, and it’s a big reason why they’re 16-19-3 on the season.
Will that decide the outcome of tonight’s game? Of course not. Hockey is a random sport that any team could win on any given night with some luck, and Michael Hutchinson starting for the Leafs probably will only add to the randomness, but the Leafs likely won’t even make that an easy situation for the Flames tonight.
Tale of the Tape
Lineups
Toronto Maple Leafs
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 ZACH HYMAN Rating: 74.6#33 LW |  AUSTON MATTHEWS Rating: 82.3#6 C |  MITCH MARNER Rating: 76.6#18 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 77.83#5 FL1 |
 ALEX GALCHENYUK Rating: 70.8#115 LW |  JOHN TAVARES Rating: 77.6#15 C |  WILLIAM NYLANDER Rating: 76.1#23 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 74.83#11 FL2 |
 JOE THORNTON Rating: 72.3#74 LW |  ALEXANDER KERFOOT Rating: 70.8#113 C |  JASON SPEZZA Rating: 69.4#126 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.83#22 FL3 |
 ILYA MIKHEYEV Rating: 74.0#42 LW |  PIERRE ENGVALL Rating: 71.0#98 C |  WAYNE SIMMONDS Rating: 70.2#112 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.76#8 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 MORGAN RIELLY Rating: 75.3#14 LD |  T.J. BRODIE Rating: 74.2#27 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 74.76#17 DL1 |
 JAKE MUZZIN Rating: 75.1#17 LD |  JUSTIN HOLL Rating: 72.0#61 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.56#13 DL2 |
 TRAVIS DERMOTT Rating: 71.7#83 LD |  ZACH BOGOSIAN Rating: 71.4#76 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.56#24 DL3 |
Calgary Flames
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 MATTHEW TKACHUK Rating: 78.0#9 LW |  ELIAS LINDHOLM Rating: 76.5#19 C |  DILLON DUBE Rating: 70.3#108 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.95#15 FL1 |
 JOHNNY GAUDREAU Rating: 76.0#19 LW |  SEAN MONAHAN Rating: 74.4#42 C |  BRETT RITCHIE | FL2 Rating Rating: 73.23#16 FL2 |
 MILAN LUCIC Rating: 70.7#103 LW |  SAM BENNETT Rating: 69.6#127 C |  ANDREW MANGIAPANE Rating: 74.2#36 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.49#17 FL3 |
 JOAKIM NORDSTROM Rating: 67.9#150 LW |  DEREK RYAN Rating: 72.0#83 C |  JOSH LEIVO Rating: 71.7#85 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.51#23 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 MARK GIORDANO Rating: 77.9#6 LD |  RASMUS ANDERSSON Rating: 73.5#36 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 75.67#9 DL1 |
 NOAH HANIFIN Rating: 73.3#49 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.0#90 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 72.16#22 DL2 |
 JUUSO VALIMAKI Rating: 72.6#6 LD |  MICHAEL STONE Rating: 71.0#91 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.78#18 DL3 |
Leafs Starting Goalie: Michael Hutchinson
The Leafs play the Flames on back-to-back nights, so Hutchinson was going to get one of the games this weekend since Freddie doesn’t look to be returning in the next few days. Hutchinson has been solid when called upon, with a 3-2-1 record and a .915 save percentage, but he also hasn’t been too hot of late so he will probably be the biggest factor for if the Leafs win or lose tonight. He’s already got in two games against the Flames with a 1-1 record and .927 save percentage.
Flames Starting Goalie: Jacob Markstrom
This one isn’t confirmed, so the back-to-back could mean it’s anyone’s crease tonight, but Sutter has been pretty reliant on Markstrom since taking over, so it’s safe to assume he gets the first start. He’s been pretty sub-par this season with a 12-13-2 record and a .901 save percentage, and the Leafs haven’t helped him there too much, as he has a 1-2 record and a .875 save percentage against the Leafs.
Where to tune in
You can catch the game on TSN tonight, and even though it’s a Sunday, the game is at 9:00pm for some reason, so it’ll be another late night for Leafs Nation.
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