GAME DAY PREVIEWS
Updated: Saturday February 27, 1999 3:24PM EST
Saturday February 27, 1999 Florida at Toronto 7pm
With their sights set on the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to remain unbeaten at the new Air Canada Centre tonight against Pavel Bure and the Florida Panthers. The Leafs rolled to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday, improving to 3-1-2 in its last six games overall. Toronto is second in the Northeast Division, three points behind first place and conference-leading Ottawa.
After opening their new home with a 3-2 overtime victory against Montreal on February 20, the Leafs skated to a 2-2 with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors are a combined 3-0-1 at the Air Canada Centre.
Right wing Steve Thomas has three goals and 10 assists during a team-best 10-game points streak, while Leafs captain Mats Sundin has goals in four of his last five contests.
Toronto has struggled on the power play of late, going 1-for-23 in the last six games.
Bure scored twice, including a successful penalty shot, as the Panthers rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period before settling for a 5-5 tie with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.
Florida is unbeaten in its last four games (2-0-2), scoring 17 goals in the last three contests. The Panthers hold down the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with a two-point lead over Boston. Florida is just five points behind first-place Carolina in the Southeast Division.
Bure has 10 goals and three assists in nine games with the Panthers, tying him for fifth on the team in goals and 11th in points. Florida is 5-1-2 when Bure plays the entire game and 2-4-3 when he does not.
The Panthers are unbeaten (1-0-1) against the Leafs this season but this is the first meeting in Toronto.
Thursday February 25, 1999 Toronto at Ny Islanders 7:30pm
Former New York Islanders defenseman Bryan Berard makes his first visit back to Long Island tonight as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is the first meeting between the teams since the January 9 trade that sent disgruntled goaltender Felix Potvin to the Islanders in exchange for the 21-year-old Berard.
"It's just another game," Berard said. "It's going back to the Island and playing against some guys I played with for 2 1/2 years. It will be good to see those guys but I'm not out to prove anything. I was happy with the trade and I'm much happier here."
Berard has done well with the Leafs, collecting three goals and six assists in 16 games, while Potvin is a dismal 1-6-1 with an ugly 3.86 goals-against average with the Isles. Potvin will not play tonight after aggravating a groin injury in practice Wednesday that will sideline him four to six weeks.
The Leafs rallied for a 2-2 tie with the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Toronto, which will try to avoid matching a season-high three-game winless streak tonight, is three points behind first-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division.
Former Islander Steve Thomas has three goals and nine assists during a team-high nine-game points streak.
New York had a season-high four-game unbeaten streak stopped with a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The Islanders will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season but have shown improvement under coach Bill Stewart, compiling a 5-5-3 record after going 13-29-3 under Mike Milbury.
Right wing Zigmund Palffy was held pointless on Sunday but has tallied eight goals and two assists in his last 11 games. He is fifth on the Isles with 12 goals despite missing 31 games during a contract holdout.
The Islanders won the first meeting, 3-1, in Toronto on November 9 and have won three of their last four home contests against the Leafs.
Wednesday February 24, 1999 Carolina at Toronto 7:30pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to remain perfect at the Air Canada Centre tonight when they host the Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. The Maple Leafs, who opened their new building with a 3-2 overtime victory over Montreal on Saturday, suffered a 4-3 loss at Washington on Monday.
The Leafs, who are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 68 points, are 2-3-1 over their last six games. Toronto is just four points behind Ottawa for the top spot in the Northeast Division.
Mats Sundin leads the team with 59 points, while Steve Thomas has amassed a club-high 22 goals.
Toronto has dropped a pair of games to Carolina this season, including a 6-5 setback on February 10 in the penultimate game at the hallowed Maple Leaf Gardens. Ron Francis' five points helped the Hurricanes negate Sergei Berezin's hat trick in that contest.
Carolina currently holds the third Eastern Conference playoff spot due to its seven-point lead over Florida for supremacy in the Southeast.
The Hurricanes are unbeaten in their last three games (2-0-1), including Sunday's 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Ray Sheppard scored two times against New York, including his 20th of the season, which gave him 20 goals with six different teams during his career -- an NHL record.
Sheppard is tied with Keith Primeau for the team lead in scoring with 47 points, although Primeau is Carolina's top goal-scorer with 25 tallies.
Monday February 22, 1999 Toronto at Washington 7pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to keep the pressure on first-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division tonight as they face the Washington Capitals, who are trying to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff race. Toronto won in overtime for the second straight game Saturday, edging the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, in the first contest at the new Air Canada Centre. The Leafs are 5-0-5 in overtime this season and could tie the Pittsburgh Penguins, who set an NHL record with three consecutive wins in overtime earlier this month.
The Maple Leafs are 2-0-1 in their last three games and an impressive 15-11-2 on the road this season. They are second in the Northeast, four points behind Ottawa and three ahead of Buffalo.
Right wing Steve Thomas, 35, is enjoying a rebirth in Toronto. He has three goals and seven assists during a seven-game points streak and is second on the team with 48 points. Thomas had just 24 points in 55 games with New Jersey last season.
Washington stopped a three-game winless streak with Saturday's 3-1 victory over San Jose. The Caps have won four straight at home and are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games overall, but are still 12th in the Eastern Conference, six points behind eighth-place Florida.
Goaltender Olaf Kolzig has been very sharp in his last 10 contests, allowing just 17 goals. Center Adam Oates has also provided the Caps with a charge, collecting three goals and 13 assists in his last 12 games.
The Capitals won the first two meetings between the teams this season, extending their winning streak against the Leafs to seven games. But Toronto took the last matchup, 5-3, on January 30.
Saturday February 20, 1999 Montreal at Toronto 7pm First ACC game
The Toronto Maple Leafs open the state-of-the-art Air Canada Centre tonight by hosting their long-time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto ended 68 years of hockey at the Maple Leafs Gardens last Saturday with a 6-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The new building will be home to both the Maple Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
Montreal is Toronto's oldest rival and the Canadiens hold a 307-245-84 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have met twice this season with each squad winning on the road.
Mats Sundin capitalized on a turnover, scoring with 56 seconds left in overtime to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 triumph over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Center Steve Sullivan has five goals and two assists during a six-game points streak.
Toronto has just one win in its last four games (1-2-1). But with 31 victories, the Maple Leafs have surpassed their total for all of last season.
The Canadiens got third-period special teams goals from Sergei Zholtok and Saku Koivu to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1, Thursday.
Montreal has won two in a row on the road and three straight overall. The Habs' last four-game winning streak came from December 26-January 2.
Wednesday February 17, 1999 Toronto at Buffalo 7pm
Three days after closing Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto hopes to close some holes in its defense as it takes on the Buffalo Sabres. Toronto played its final game at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens on Saturday and was routed by Chicago, 6-2. The Leafs open the new Air Canada Centre game against Montreal on Saturday.
Saturday marked the second straight game that Toronto gave up six goals in a loss, allowing five third-period goals in that span. Now the Leafs are at risk of matching a season high with their third straight defeat.
That three-game skid, which occurred from October 26-31, included back-to-back losses to Buffalo. But the Leafs managed to split a home-and-home set with the Sabres from November 20-21, winning the final matchup for just their second victory in the last 16 meetings of this series (2-10-4).
Center Steve Sullivan has four goals and two assists during a five-game points streak, while right wing Steve Thomas has two goals and three assists in his five-game stretch.
Since dropping four in a row, the Sabres have rode the goaltending of Dominik Hasek to go 2-0-2 in the last four games, surrendering seven goals in that span.
On Monday, Hasek made 36 saves and captain Michael Peca snapped a tie 4:04 into the third period to lift Buffalo to a 3-2 victory over Carolina.
Left wing Miroslav Satan has goals in three straight games and leads Buffalo with 24 goals and 42 points.
The Sabres have been awful on the power play lately, going 0-for-23 over the last five contests.
Monday February 15, 1999 Toronto at New Jersey 7:30pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs will try and shake off Saturday night's pounding and the emotional ceremonies that followed when they battle the New Jersey Devils tonight. The Maple Leafs seemed more concerned about being a part of the last NHL game in Maple Leaf Gardens than actually playing it. Their 6-2 loss to Chicago on Saturday was the third time in seven outings Toronto had given up that many goals.
Toronto and New Jersey clashed just nine days ago at the Meadowlands with the Maple Leafs rallying from two goals down to defeat the Devils, 3-2.
Former Devils Steve Sullivan and Steve Thomas both enter tonight with four-game points streaks. Sullivan has scored four goals in as many outings.
Toronto left wing Fredrik Modin, who ended a 12-game goal-scoring drought early last week, suffered a broken collarbone Saturday and will be sidelined four to six weeks.
New Jersey finally won at home again. After going 0-4-1 in its last five tilts on home ice, the Devils defeated Carolina, 6-4, Saturday, snapping a three-game losing streak overall.
Petr Sykora has done his part in trying to keep the Devils among the elite in the Eastern Conference with five goals and two assists in his last seven games. Sykora is second on the Devils with 39 points this season, nine behind Bobby Holik.
New Jersey is 1-3 on a season-high six-game homestand and 12-11-5 at home. Through 28 home games last season, the Devils were 21-7.
Saturday February 13, 1999 Chicago at Toronto 6:30pm Final MLG Game
Maple Leaf Gardens will close tonight the way it opened November 12, 1931. Tonight's contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks will take a backseat when one of the NHL's most fabled arenas hosts its final game.
Harold "Mush" March scored the first goal at the Gardens, leading Chicago to a 2-1 victory. He will be joined by 89-year-old George "Red" Horner, the last surviving member of the 1931-32 Maple Leafs, in the ceremonial faceoff. It will begin a night of ceremonies that will send off the last "Original Six" building.
Over 100 former Maple Leafs will be present for a special tribute to the arena, beginning approximately 20 minutes after the game.
Next week, Toronto opens the state-of-the-art Air Canada Centre by hosting the Montreal Canadiens, who closed their own fabled arena, the Forum, three years ago.
Sergei Berezin recorded a hat trick in the penultimate game at Maple Leaf Gardens on Wednesday, but Toronto dropped a 6-5 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Toronto remains just one point behind Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division and has put together a 14-11-1 mark at home entering its final contest on Carlton Street.
The Blackhawks hope to avoid making some history of their own tonight. Chicago dropped a 2-1 decision to Detroit on Friday, extending its season-high losing streak to seven games. They have not lost eight in a row since April 2-17, 1995.
Chicago is 94-163-53 all-time at the Maple Leaf Gardens, but did post a 4-3 victory here January 10, 1998. The Blackhawks have dropped both of their previous meetings with the Maple Leafs this season -- both in Chicago. Mats Sundin had a hat trick in a 10-3 rout November 12 and added the game-winner once again December 11 in a 3-2 triumph.
Wednesday February 10, 1999 Carolina at Toronto 7:30pm
With just two games remaining at venerable Maple Leaf Gardens, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to move back into first place in the Northeast Division tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Maple Leafs bid farewell to the Gardens, the oldest NHL arena, Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks before opening the Air Canada Centre on February 20 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto is just one point behind the division-leading Ottawa Senators but already has matched last season's victory total with Saturday's 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. The Maple Leafs did not win their 30th game last year until the final day of the season April 19.
Recently, the Leafs have been jockeying between second and fifth overall in the Eastern Conference. They are currently fifth with 63 points.
Carolina, which has a four-point lead over the second-place Florida Panthers in the Southeast Division, is beginning a four-game road trip that continues against the New York Rangers, Devils and Buffalo Sabres.
Hurricanes center Ron Francis will become just the 20th player in NHL history to play in 1,300 games tonight. The 35-year-old Francis, who signed as a free-agent in July, ranks sixth in games played among active players behind Wayne Gretzky, Larry Murphy, Ray Bourque, Mark Messier and Dale Hunter.
Ray Sheppard scored with 2:09 left in the third period Saturday as Carolina rallied for a 3-3 tie against the Panthers, but the result extended the Hurricanes' winless streak to four games (0-2-2), their longest since opening the season 0-1-3.
The Leafs posted a 4-2 victory in Greensboro on January 18 in the only meeting between the teams this season. Toronto hosts the Hurricanes again February 24 in the second game at the Air Canada Centre.
Saturday February 6, 1999 Toronto at New Jersey 7pm
A couple of teams with first-place aspirations meet tonight in New Jersey as the Toronto Maple Leafs face the Devils for the first time this season and the initial time as conference rivals. The Maple Leafs are tied with Ottawa for the top spot in the Northeast Division with 61 points, while the Devils, with 64, are second in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Confernce, three points behind red-hot Philadelphia.
Toronto looks to make it a successful three-game road trip tonight after suffering a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. The Leafs are 7-3-1 in their last 11 contests overall but are just 4-6-1 against the Atlantic.
The Leafs' power play was 14-for-44 (32 percent) in the last 10 games before going scoreless on six chances in Wednesday's loss.
Right wing Steve Thomas, a former Devil, has five goals and three assists in the last seven games, while captain Mats Sundin has three and four in that span.
The Devils posted their league-leading 18th road victory Thursday as backup Chris Terreri blanked the St. Louis Blues, 2-0. New Jersey has lost only once in its last eight games (6-1-1) but is still three points behind first-place Philadelphia in the Atlantic.
Martin Brodeur, who should be back in net tonight, has been exceptional recently. He is 4-1-1 in his last six starts, allowing only 11 goals.
Both Brodeur and Terreri have been helped by a penalty-killing unit that has allowed just one goal in the last 31 chances.
The Devils are unbeaten in their last five meetings with the Leafs (3-0-2).
Wednesday February 3, 1999 Toronto at Florida 7:30pm
The first-place Toronto Maple Leafs bring a red-hot power play into tonight's meeting with Pavel Bure and the Florida Panthers.
Curtis Joseph made 23 saves for his second shutout of the season as the Leafs blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-0, on Tuesday. Toronto has won four of its last five games and has lost only twice in the last 10 contests (7-2-1). Tuesday's victory moved the Leafs one point ahead of Ottawa into first place in the Northeast Division.
The Leafs went 2-for-5 on the power play Tuesday and have tallied with the man advantage in nine of the last 10 games, going 14-for-44 (32 percent) in that span.
Toronto is getting contributions from just about everyone. Seven players have at least 10 goals and there are 10 Leafs with 20 or more points.
The Panthers suffered their first loss with Bure in the lineup Saturday, dropping a 5-2 decision to league-leading Dallas. Florida is 3-1-1 in its last five games and in an eighth-place tie with Boston in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the New York Rangers.
Bure has been even better than advertised in his first five games, collecting seven goals and one assist. His seven goals already ties him for seventh on the team.
The teams skated to a 3-3 tie in Florida on January 13 but the Leafs are unbeaten in the last five meetings (3-0-2).
Tuesday February 2, 1999 Toronto at Tampa Bay 7pm
Battling Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to take advantage of the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning tonight when the teams meet for the third time this season. Enjoying a tremendous turnaround from last season, the Maple Leafs are one point behind first-place Ottawa and three ahead of third-place Buffalo.
Toronto won for the third time in four games with Saturday's 5-3 triumph over Washington. The Leafs have lost only twice in their last nine contests overall (6-2-1) and have won five straight meetings against the Lightning.
The Leafs have scored power-play goals in eight of the last nine games, going 12-for-39 (30.8 percent) in that span. Captain Mats Sundin continues to lead the offense with three goals and three assists in the last five contests, and right wing Steve Thomas has four goals and three assists in during that span.
The season cannot end soon enough for the Lightning, whose latest losing streak stands at three games. They are a dismal 5-27-2 in the last 34 games and by far the worst team in the league with just 26 points, eight behind the New York Islanders.
The Lightning have had six losing streaks of three games or more this season.
About the only bright spot for Tampa Bay has been former Maple Leafs captain Wendel Clark, who leads the team with 20 goals and 31 points.