GAME DAY PREVIEWS
Updated: Saturday April 17, 1999 4:41PM EST
Saturday April 17, 1999 Toronto at Montreal 7pm
The surging Toronto Maple Leafs play their final game of the regular season before appearing in the postseason for the first time in three years tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto, which failed to qualify for the playoffs the last two seasons, has locked up fourth place in the Eastern Conference but its first-round opponent is still to be determined.
The Maple Leafs defeated the New York Islanders in overtime Tuesday for their club-record 45th victory of the season. The Leafs have lost only once in their last 10 games (7-1-2) and have won four of five on the road.
Toronto captain has Mats Sundin five goals and three assists in his last six games and leads the team with 83 points.
It has been a very disappointing season for Montreal, which will miss the playoffs for only the second time in the last 29 seasons. The punchless Canadiens are winless in four straight games (0-3-1) and have scored a total of 18 goals in the last 13 contests.
If the Habs lose tonight, this would be their worst season since going 20-29-11 in 1947-48.
The teams have split four meetings this season.
Wednesday April 14, 1999 Ny Islanders at Toronto 7:30pm
Former Maple Leaf Felix Potvin makes his return to Toronto tonight when the New York Islanders visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Potvin is fresh off a career-high 55-save performance in Monday's 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Tonight, he opposes Curtis Joseph, the goaltender who was signed to a four-year, $24 million deal in the offseason to replace Potvin.
A two-time All-Star with the Leafs, Potvin made his first start since February 12 after missing two months with a groin injury, faced 57 shots and carried the team to a surprising win.
The Leafs have to beat Potvin tonight to break the team record for wins in a season tonight.
Toronto has two games remaining to break the record for wins, set by the 1992-93 club, which went 44-29-11. The Maple Leafs have posted the biggest turnaround in the NHL this season, improving by 26 points.
Steve Sullivan recorded his first career four-goal game and Steve Thomas added a goal and four assists as the Leafs routed the Florida Panthers, 9-1, Saturday. Sergei Berezin scored his ninth goal in 10 games.
The Leafs own the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, four points ahead of fifth-place Philadelphia, with two games remaining. The Flyers also have two games left.
New York is assured of finishing with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.
The Leafs lead the season series, 2-1.
Saturday April 10, 1999 Florida at Toronto 7pm
The Toronto Maple can move closer to clinching the all-important fourth spot in the Eastern Conference tonight when they meet the Florida Panthers, who have lost a season-high six straight games.
Toronto is five points ahead of Philadelphia and six in front of Buffalo but the Leafs have just three games remaining while the Sabres have five. The fourth-place team gets home ice in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs won the opener of their home-and-home series against Ottawa on Wednesday before the Senators clinched the Northeast Division with a 3-1 victory Thursday. The loss stopped a season-high seven-game unbeaten streak for Toronto, which is 5-1-2 in its last eight games.
Left wing Sergei Berezin has eight goals and six assists over his last nine games.
The Panthers were officially eliminated from postseason contention with Friday's 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Florida, which also is winless in seven straight, is mired in its longest losing streak since dropping a team-record 13 consecutive contests from February 7-March 23, 1998.
Toronto and Florida have split three games this season (1-1-1).
Thursday April 8, 1999 Toronto at Ottawa 7:30pm
The red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs hope to extend their season-high unbeaten streak to eight games and deny the Ottawa Senators their first-ever division title when the teams complete a home-and-home series tonight. Yanic Perreault recorded his first career four-goal game Wednesday night as the Maple Leafs skated to a 4-2 win over the Senators.
Toronto, which is 5-0-2 in its last seven games, moved within five points of first-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division and Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn recorded his 400th career victory.
Alexei Yashin and rookie Marian Hossa scored for Ottawa, which still leads New Jersey by three points for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Senators had a seven-game road unbeaten streak (5-0-2) stopped as well as a six-game overall unbeaten stretch (3-0-3).
Yashin leads the Senators with 44 goals and 47 assists, while Mats Sundin paces the Leafs with 29 goals and 78 points.
Toronto has taken three of four meetings from Ottawa this season with the Senators posting a 3-1 home victory on March 6.
Wednesday April 7, 1999 Ottawa at Toronto 7:30pm
The Ottawa Senators can clinch the first division title in team history tonight when they host the surging Toronto Maple Leafs in a matchup between teams riding six-game unbeaten streaks. It has been a quick turnaround for the Senators, who were 18-59-5 just three seasons ago. Ottawa is seven points ahead of Toronto in the Northeast Division with six games remaining, but just five for the Maple Leafs. More importantly, the Senators are three points ahead of New Jersey for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa could only manage a 4-4 tie against the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday but it did extend their unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3).
Senators captain Alexei Yashin, one of the top contenders for the Hart Trophy, has two goals and four assists in his last two games and is seventh in the league with 92 points.
A win tonight and the Leafs would be one step closer to locking up fourth place in the conference and getting home ice in the opening round of the playoffs. They are five points ahead of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, two struggling teams.
The Leafs skated to a 2-2 tie with the St. Louis Blues on Monday, extending their season-high unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2). Toronto has scored a league-high 249 goals, tallying 18 times in the last four contests.
Toronto won the first two meetings between the teams this season before Ottawa posted a 3-1 victory at home on March 6.
Monday April 5, 1999 St.Louis at Toronto 7:30pm
Unbeaten in a season-high five straight games, the Toronto Maple Leafs try to take a step closer to clinching fourth place in the Eastern Conference tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Toronto still has an outside shot at catching Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division, trailing the Senators by seven points with six games remaining. The next-best thing for the Leafs is fourth place in the conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They are four points ahead of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
The Maple Leafs won their third straight game Saturday, routing Calgary, 5-1, to improve to 4-0-1 in their last five contests. They have won three consecutive games on six occasions this season but last won four straight during a 10-game winning streak in the 1993-94 season.
Right wing Sergei Berezin is red hot with five goals in his last two games and seven goals and four assists during a six-game points streak.
The Blues also are battling for playoff position, sitting sixth in the West, three points behind Anaheim and two ahead of San Jose. They would love to catch the Mighty Ducks for fifth to avoid a first-round matchup with either Detroit or Colorado.
Pavol Demitra scored twice in St. Louis' 5-2 victory over Dallas Saturday as the Blues won for the fourth time in six games.
Center Pierre Turgeon has four goals and five assists in his last six games.
The Leafs have won both games against the Blues this season. This is their first meeting in Toronto.
Saturday April 3, 1999 Toronto at Calgary 7pm
The struggling Calgary Flames look to lengthen their very slim lead for the final Western Conference playoff berth tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Flames are eighth in the West, one point ahead of Edmonton. Each team has seven games remaining and the Flames and Oilers meet three more times this season.
Calgary was playing very well for a while, going 12-4-3 from February 8-March 25, but is winless in its last four contests (0-3-1). The Flames dropped a 4-1 decision to the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday.
With Theo Fleury gone, the Flames need production from someone other than Valeri Bure, who has scored five of the team's last 12 goals.
The Leafs have won both games against the Flames this season and seven in a row overall.
Sergei Berezin recorded his second career hat trick as Toronto rolled to a 5-1 rout of the Oilers on Thursday. The win officially clinched a playoff berth for Toronto, which is unbeaten in its last four games (3-0-1).
The Leafs are seven points behind Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division and two ahead of Pittsburgh for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Berezin has five goals and four assists during a five-game points streak, while right wing Steve Thomas has five goals and two assists in his last four contests.
Thursday April 1, 1999 Toronto at Edmonton 9pm
The Edmonton Oilers continue their push for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference tonight as they host former teammate Curtis Joseph and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Oilers fell to 3-3-1 Tuesday on their season-long eight-game homestand with a 7-4 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. Edmonton surrendered six goals in the opening period in falling to 3-6-2 in its last 11 contests.
Edmonton is in a fierce battle with the rival Calgary Flames for the final postseason spot in the West. The Oilers are currently one point back of the Flames for the final spot and each team has eight games remaining. Calgary is hosting Phoenix tonight.
Yanic Perreault scored twice in the third period, including a power-play tally with eight minutes remaining, as the Maple Leafs held on for a wild 6-5 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
The Leafs, who reached 40 wins for the first time since the 1993-94 season with Wednesday's victory, are fourth in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Pittsburgh and two in front of Philadelphia.
Tonight is goaltender Curtis Joseph's second visit to Edmonton since he signed a a four-year, $24 million deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason. In his first game back in Edmonton on October 13, he made 28 saves in a 3-2 victory.
Joseph also made 32 saves just under a month later in another 3-2 victory over his former team.