The Toronto Maple Leafs expect to have leading scorer Auston Matthews available for their Thursday night contest against the Calgary Flames as they open a three-game road trip on a six-game winning streak.
The Flames also are on a roll after winning their fourth straight Wednesday night. Calgary beat the visiting Vegas Golden Knights 6-0, with Jacob Markstrom earning his league-leading eighth shutout of the season.
There was concern about Matthews after he left the Leafs’ 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday in the final minute of regulation and went to the dressing room with what turned out to be a minor head injury.
The Maple Leafs center, who scored twice Monday to increase his total to 31 for the season before he was involved in a collision behind the Carolina net, was able to practice Wednesday with the team.
“I was just shaken up as it happened so quickly and I wasn’t expecting it,” Matthews said. “It felt like I got hit in the side of the head pretty hard. But everything checked out well and I had no hesitation jumping into practice (Wednesday).”
Toronto’s Mitchell Marner also scored twice Monday to extend his goal-scoring streak to a career-best eight games. He scored the tying goal in the third period and the winner in overtime. Marner, who added an assist, has 10 goals and nine assists during the streak.
“It feels like I have to get lucky,” Marner said of being able to score in game after game. “At the same time, get into spots where you can get the puck on and off your stick quickly and try to be where you have a better chance of scoring.
“Our line (Matthews and left winger Michael Bunting) has been moving very well these past 10 games or so. Forecheck-wise, we’re getting a lot of pucks back, creating chances and doing a pretty good job putting them in.”
Toronto’s trip features makeups of games postponed in December because of COVID-19 issues. The Maple Leafs won the opener of a scheduled Western swing 5-1 over the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 14 but did not play again until Jan. 1.
After the Calgary game on Thursday, the Maple Leafs visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
“It seems like a long time since we were ready for these games,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We’d done our prep work, so we’re a little ahead that way. Time has elapsed, so you circle back on (the preparation). We thought we’d have this trip in the books by now, but we’re eager to get out there and play.”
The Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Flames 2-1 in overtime on Nov. 12.
Mikael Backlund led the Flames on Wednesday with one goal and three assists, with his tally coming in the first period as Calgary built a 3-0 lead against Vegas. Andrew Mangiapane had two goals while Matthew Tkachuk added one goal and two assists for the Flames, who have won six of their past seven games.
“Our first period really set up our game,” Tkachuk said. “When you’re up 3-0, that’s really hard to come back from.
“We want to make this place a tough place to play. We want to be known as a great first-period team here because when you dominate like we do in the first period, it doesn’t give the other team a ton of confidence.”
Markstrom made 28 saves against Vegas to creep closer to the team record of 10 shutouts in a season set by Miikka Kiprusoff in 2005-06, when he won the Vezina Trophy.
–Field Level Media
