The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to extend their win streak to a season-high five games when they continue a four-game road trip against the slumping Arizona Coyotes in Tempe, Ariz., on Wednesday.
The Maple Leafs opened the road trip with a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Meanwhile, the Coyotes have lost 10 straight (0-9-1) after getting doubled up 6-3 by the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Toronto center Auston Matthews, who scored his league-leading 49th goal in the victory over St. Louis, has seven goals and three assists over his past three games. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native has 25 points (16 goals, nine assists) in the past 13 games.
“We had a really good effort,” Matthews said after the game. “The first period was kind of stagnant, (but) we picked it up in the second and played a really solid game. All four lines played well. (Goaltender Ilya) Samsonov was really solid for us. It was a good game.”
The Maple Leafs have not lost since defenseman Morgan Rielly was suspended five games for his cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig on Feb. 10. Following an appeal, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld Rielly’s suspension on Tuesday.
“I’m not sure it’s been much of a rallying point as much as just knowing that we’re missing a very key piece of our team and our defensive core, and knowing that we’ve got to step up collectively and do a job,” Matthews said of playing without Rielly. “Guys that are coming in and playing more minutes or getting moved up in the lineup are going to be required to do more.”
Toronto, third in the Atlantic Division entering Tuesday, is 8-2-0 over its last 10 games and 15-6-6 on the road this season.
Samsonov, 12-4-6, with a 3.19 goals against average and an .882 save percentage, has won a season-best four straight games.
Forward Mitch Marner has 10 assists in his last four games, and William Nylander has four goals and three assists in his last four.
Wednesday is the first of two meetings between the Maple Leafs and Coyotes. The second will be Feb. 29 in Toronto.
“It’s a process right now for us,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said following Monday’s loss. “We’re going through an extremely tough situation. We’re the second-youngest team in the league, and we’re growing and learning out of it.
“Sometimes, learning is through pain, and we’re going through that right now. It’s really frustrating, but the last two games we played like the ‘Yotes. We played with a lot of energy and a lot of drive and a lot of passion, so I’m proud of the way the guys battle.”
Arizona, seventh in the Central Division, is 15-13-0 on home ice this season.
With his power-play goal on Monday, Clayton Keller became the sixth player in Coyotes’ history to record three straight 50-point seasons. The left winger leads the team with 22 goals and 51 points in 55 games this season.
Matt Dumba has four points in his last five games, and Nick Bjugstad is coming off a two-goal game against the Oilers.
Arizona netminder Connor Ingram is 17-13-2 this season with a 2.76 GAA and a .912 save percentage. He is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a lower-body injury in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Minnesota Wild on Feb. 14. Backup Karel Vejmelka has started two of the three games since Ingram’s injury.
–Field Level Media
