GAME DAY PREVIEWS
Updated: Saturday January 29, 2000 5:03PM EST
Saturday January 29, 2000 Los Angeles at Toronto 7pm
The Los Angeles Kings aim for their fourth win in six games tonight when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs in their only meeting this season. The Kings moved to 3-2 in their last five contests and snapped an eight-game road winless streak with Thursday's 6-2 rout of Nashville. Luc Robitaille scored twice and Ian Laperriere added a goal and an assist for Los Angeles, which is 1-1 on its three-game road trip.
The Kings are tied for eighth with the Calgary Flames for eighth place in the Western Conference.
A pair of former conference opponents that met in the 1993 Campbell Conference finals, Toronto and Los Angeles met just once last season. Sergei Berezin scored twice and Mats Sundin added three assists in a 3-1 victory for Toronto on December 2, 1998.
Steve Thomas scored twice, including the game-winner with one minute left, as the Leafs improved to 2-1-2 in their last five contests with a 4-3 triumph over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Jonas Hoglund added a goal and two assists and Sundin had two assists, giving him 10 points during a five-game points streak.
The Leafs, who are six points behind New Jersey for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, are winless in their last three home games (0-1-2). They are playing their final contest at the Air Canada Centre before hosting the All-Star Game on February 6.
Thursday January 27, 2000 Toronto at Ny Rangers 7:30pm
The surging New York Rangers look to match the third-longest winning streak in franchise history Thursday night when they return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Rangers stretched their streak to seven games and completed a sweep of a four-game road trip Tuesday with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mike Knuble scored twice in the third period as New York erased a 3-1 deficit.
The Rangers had a pair of eight-game winning streaks in the 1970s -- February 16-March 6, 1974 and December 27, 1974-January 11, 1975. The franchise record is 10, set from December 19, 1939-January 13, 1940 and matched from January 19-February 10, 1973.
With the Rangers back home, they will have left winger Adam Graves in the lineup. Graves missed the last three games of the road trip to be with his wife and twin infant sons, who were born two months premature.
Tuesday's win enabled the Rangers to move above .500 for the first time since they were 4-3-1 on October 17. New York, which has won nine of its last 10, also improved to just 2-17-3 this season when trailing after two periods.
The Rangers are 2-1 against the Leafs this season, sweeping a home-and-home series earlier this month. Graves scored with 34 seconds left in overtime to give New York a 3-2 win at Madison Square Garden on January 5.
Three days later, Petr Nedved recorded his third career hat trick in the Rangers' 5-3 win in Toronto. New York is 8-0-1 at home against the Leafs since December 19, 1990.
Toronto's three-game unbeaten streak ended Wednesday with a 4-2 loss at Detroit. Steve Thomas and Mats Sundin each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who have only one win in their last five contests (1-2-2).
Sundin has three goals and five assists in the last four games and tops the club with 23 goals and 44 points.
Wednesday January 26, 2000 Toronto at Detroit 7:30pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs try to extend their unbeaten streak to four games when they battle the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night (7:30 ET, ESPN2). Toronto went to overtime for the the third straight game and fourth in its last five outings Monday, playing to a 3-3 deadlock with Ottawa. Igor Korolev scored twice, including the tying goal in the third period.
The Maple Leafs, who are 3-1-2 in their last five, are tied with Florida for the second-highest point total in the Eastern Conference with 63, five behind first-place New Jersey.
Korolev continues to play at a high pace, producing four points in his last two games and six goals and two assists in his last seven.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph is tied for second in the NHL with 23 wins, but has allowed 12 goals in his last three games. He has slipped from among the league leaders in goals-against average but still sports an impressive 2.31 mark.
Detroit will be looking to build off Saturday's 3-2 victory over Ottawa that snapped its five-game winless skid. The Red Wings own the best points total in the Western Conference and lead the Central Division by a point over the St. Louis Blues, who battle the Ottawa Senators tonight.
Pat Verbeek notched the go-ahead goal early in the third period on Saturday and has 26 points in 34 games since signing as a free agent on November 10. Detroit is 13-0-4 when he records a point.
Chris Osgood made 29 saves on Saturday for only his second win in nine games (2-5-2) since returning from a broken finger on January 2.
Steve Yzerman is riding a five-game points streak. The team's leading scorer with 47 points, Yzerman has three goals and two assists during the stretch.
Detroit is 4-0-1 in its last five meetings with Toronto, including a 1-1 tie in the only other matchup this season on November 13.
Monday January 24, 2000 Ottawa at Toronto 7:30pm
The Ottawa Senators look to close the gap in the Northeast Division tonight when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ottawa, coming off a a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, is in second place in the Northeast Division, five points behind the Maple Leafs. The Senators are 1-2-1 in their last four contests.
However, Ottawa has had success against the Leafs this season, posting a 4-3 win at home on October 9 and 3-1 victory at Toronto on December 13.
"We know who they are and they've drilled us both times we've played this year," Maple Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. "You can't say we have to win it, but we've got to play better."
Toronto is coming off a wild 5-5 tie with the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The Leafs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take leads of 4-3 and 5-4, but gave up the tying goal to Richard Zednik with 1:42 remaining in the third period.
The Leafs are 3-1-1 in their last five and have gone to overtime in their last two. They beat Vancouver, 5-4, on Monday as Steve Thomas scored with five seconds left in the extra session.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph is tied for second in the NHL with 23 wins, but has allowed nine goals in his last two games. He has slipped from among the league leaders in goals-against average but still sports an impressive 2.30 mark.
Saturday January 22, 2000 Washington at Toronto 7pm
The Washington Capitals aim for their first seven-game winning streak in almost seven years tonight when they collide with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Capitals' recent run has put them one point ahead of the Boston Bruins for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They trail the Ottawa Senators by nine points for the fifth spot.
Richard Zednik recorded his second two-goal game in four nights and Olaf Kolzig made 29 saves as Washington posted a 3-1 victory over Florida on Wednesday. Sergei Gonchar and Jan Bulis each added a pair of assists.
The Caps, who close a three-game road trip tonight, have won four straight outside of the nation's capital and are riding their longest overall streak since winning seven straight from February 9-23, 1993.
Toronto completed a 3-1 road trip with Monday's 5-4 overtime triumph at Vancouver. Steve Thomas broke through four defenders and scored with five seconds left in the extra session for his second goal of the contest.
Mats Sundin had a power-play goal and three assists for the Leafs, who lead the Senators by four points atop the Northeast Division.
These teams have split two meetings this season, with the home club winning each. Adam Mair scored in his regular-season debut and Tomas Kaberle added two assists for Toronto in a 3-1 victory on November 29.
Monday January 17, 2000 Toronto at Vancouver 10pm
The struggling Toronto Maple Leafs try to gain ground in the Eastern Conference standings when they battle the Vancouver Canucks tonight.Toronto is coming off a 4-0 setback at Calgary on Saturday, its fourth loss in six games and second shutout this season. Despite the skid, the Maple Leafs on top of the Northeast Division with 59 points, five ahead of second-place Ottawa.
The Leafs are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, three points behind first-place New Jersey and one ahead of Florida for third.
Mats Sundin tops the club in scoring with 35 points and his 20 goals ties him with Jonas Hoglund for tops on the team.
Toronto won two of three games against Vancouver last season, splitting both games out west.
Vancouver has dropped three of its last four games, including a 2-1 home setback against Dallas on Saturday. Vadim Sharifijanov scored the only goal in his debut with the Canucks.
Vancouver is just 7-12-3 at GM Place this season and continues a three-game homestand tonight against teams with winning records. After tonight's game, the Canucks host Detroit on Wednesday.
Alexander Mogilny and Markus Naslund lead the Canucks with 13 goals, but are without a goal in their last four and five games, respectively. Naslund paces the club with 30 points.
Saturday January 15, 2000 Toronto at Calgary 7pm
Two teams looking to extend winning streaks to three games meet tonight as the Toronto Maple Leafs battle the Calgary Flames. Toronto has won back-to-back games since a three-game losing streak, including a 3-2 overtime victory at Edmonton on Friday. Mats Sundin scored his 20th goal of the season 2:59 into the extra session.
The win moved the Maple Leafs within a point of New Jersey for the Eastern Conference lead. Their 59 points also are three better than second-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division standings.
Sundin tops the club in scoring with 35 points and is tied with Jonas Hoglund for tops in goals.
Toronto posted a 2-1 home victory over the Flames on October 30 in the only other meeting this season.
Jason Wiemer scored the game-winner 2:03 into overtime as the Calgary Flames posted a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Wiemer's goal broke a 12-game goalless drought and improved the Flames' league-best overtime mark to 8-1-5.
Calgary improved to 10-1-1 in its last 12 at home and is posting a 12-6-3 record at the Saddledome this season.
Despite being third in the Northwest Division, the Flames are only one point behind Edmonton for second place, but a distant seven in back of first-place Colorado.
Valeri Bure has 20 goals and 39 points for Calgary, which has won three straight at home and concludes a four-game homestand against Toronto and Detroit, who are both above .500.
Friday January 14, 2000 Toronto at Edmonton 9pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to defeat the Edmonton Oilers for a fifth straight time tonight when they collide in their second encounter this season. The Leafs swept three meetings last season and defeated the Oilers, 5-2, on November 27. Mats Sundin scored twice and Steve Thomas and Jonas Hoglund added a goal and two assists for Toronto. Bill Guerin had a goal and an assist for Edmonton.
Toronto snapped its three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Boston on Tuesday in the opener of a four-game road trip. Igor Korolev scored twice and former Bruin Dmitri Khristich had a pair of assists as the Leafs also ended a three-game road skid.
Hoglund leads Toronto with 20 goals while Sundin tops the club in scoring with 35 points.
The Maple Leafs trail the New Jersey Devils by two points for the best mark in the Eastern Conference.
Edmonton's unbeaten streak was halted at four games with Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Dallas. Ethan Moreau and defenseman Jason Smith scored, but goaltender Tommy Salo had his personal five-game unbeaten streak stopped as the Oilers fell to 1-1-1 on their eight-game homestand.
Alexander Selivanov paces Edmonton with 18 goals while Doug Weight has registered a team-high 34 points.
Tuesday January 11, 2000 Toronto at Boston 7pm
No longer leading the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to snap a season-high three-game losing streak tonight when they visit the staggering Boston Bruins. Toronto suffered a 5-3 home loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday and has dropped into a tie with Philadelphia, two points behind the conference-leading New Jersey Devils.
The Leafs are tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the most home victories in the NHL this season with 18, but they have won just six of 18 games on the road (6-10-2). Toronto also has dropped three in a row away from Air Canada Center.
The Bruins are coming off Saturday's 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders and have won just once in their last 10 games (1-7-2). Boston has slipped into a tie with the Buffalo Sabres for the final playoff spot in the East.
Sergei Samsonov (left knee injury) has missed two straight games for Boston, which is just 1-6-4 in its last 11 contests at the FleetCenter.
The teams have split two meetings this season. The Leafs posted a 4-0 win in Toronto on October 4 before the Bruins rebounded for a 4-3 overtime victory in Boston on November 11.
Toronto has dropped four straight at the FleetCenter.
Saturday January 8, 2000 Ny Rangers at Toronto 7pm
After ending a seven-game winless streak at the expense of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers open a three-game road trip when these teams battle again tonight. New York went to overtime for the fifth time in six games and Adam Graves scored with 34 seconds left in the extra period for a 3-2 victory over Toronto on Wednesday. Petr Nedved and John MacLean also tallied for the Rangers, who ended an 0-4-3 stretch.
The Leafs moved to 2-0-1 in its last three home games against the Rangers with a 4-3 overtime triumph on November 20. Yanic Perreault scored twice and Igor Korolev scored 76 seconds into overtime.
Kevin Hatcher has a five-game points streak and Nedved is riding a four-game run for the Rangers, who are 0-4-3 in their last seven road contests.
Graves leads New York with 13 goals and Theo Fleury is tops with 37 points.
Toronto suffered its third loss in four games with Friday's 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh. Jonas Hoglund scored his team-leading 20th goal and Garry Valk added his sixth.
Kevyn Adams has a three-game points streak for the Leafs, who have won four straight home contests. Mats Sundin leads Toronto with 33 points.
Friday January 7, 2000 Toronto at Pittsburgh 7:30pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to regain the Eastern Conference lead in points tonight when they battle the Pittsburgh Penguins. Toronto lost for the second time in three games with Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss against the New York Rangers. The defeat dropped the Leafs into a tie atop the conference with New Jersey, which is riding a seven-game unbeaten streak.
The Maple Leafs have received balanced scoring this season as 13 different players have at least 10 points. Mats Sundin leads the team with 33, while Jonas Hoglund paces the club in goals with 19.
Goaltender Curtis Joseph has won five of his last seven starts and is second in the league with 20 victories. He suffered the loss Wednesday despite making 37 saves.
Pittsburgh had its two-game winning streak snapped Wednesday with a 4-0 home setback to division-rival New Jersey. The third-place Penguins dropped 11 points behind the Devils and slipped a game below .500.
Jaromir Jagr went pointless for the first time in six games but still leads the NHL with 32 goals and 68 points.
With injuries to goalies Tom Barrasso and Peter Skudra, Jean-Sebastien Aubin has stepped in and made five straight starts for the Penguins, winning three. Aubin looked impressive in stopping 32 shots on Wednesday, but dropped to 9-9 for the season.
Despite the loss, Pittsburgh has played well at home, posting a 11-6-2 record at the newly-named Mellon Arena.
The teams have split two meetings this season, with each winning on home ice.
Wednesday January 5, 2000 Toronto at Ny Rangers 7:30pm
The New York Rangers face the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night as they try to snap their second seven-game winless streak of the season. New York fell to 0-4-3 in its last seven following Monday's 5-2 home loss to St. Louis. Tim Taylor and John MacLean scored for the Rangers, who were 0-5-2 from October 19-November 5 but have not gone eight games without a win since an 0-7-1 stretch from March 21-April 4, 1998.
Monday's defeat ended a stretch of four consecutive overtime games for the Rangers, who are next-to-last in the Atlantic Division with 34 points. At 8-10-2, they are one of four teams in the Eastern Conference with losing home records.
The Maple Leafs are coming off a home-and-home split with Buffalo, exacting revenge for an 8-1 road loss with a 6-2 victory at the Air Canada Centre on Monday. Sergei Berezin and Igor Korolev each scored twice for Toronto, which has won seven of its last eight games.
The Leafs are 11-3-1 during a 15-game stretch against Eastern Conference opponents.
Berezin has four goals in his last five contests for Toronto, which also has taken three of its last four on the road. Goaltender Curtis Joseph has won five of his last six starts and is second in the league with 20 victories. New York counterpart Mike Richter is just 1-4-3 in his last eight decisions.
On November 20, the Leafs edged New York, 4-3, on Korolev's overtime goal.
Monday January 3, 2000 Buffalo at Toronto 7:30pm
After having their six-game winning streak snapped in convincing fashion, the Toronto Maple Leafs look to put forth a better effort tonight when they play the Buffalo Sabres in the second half of a home-and-away series. Erik Rasmussen, rookie Maxim Afinogenev and Stu Barnes each scored twice as the Sabres ended the Leafs season-high winning streak with an 8-1 rout on Saturday. Buffalo registered a season high in goals and burned Toronto by scoring twice in the first two minutes in each of the first two periods.
Curtis Brown recorded four assists while Miroslav Satan and Geoff Sanderson added two apiece for the Sabres, who are 3-2-1 in their last six contests.
These teams have split two contests this season with the home team winning each time.
Satan and Brown each have 26 points apiece and Satan leads the Sabres with 17 goals. Sanderson is riding a four-game points streak with two goals and three assists.
Mats Sundin talied for the Leafs, who have been outscored 9-3 over their last two contests but still lead Ottawa by seven points atop the Northeast Division. They have not lost consecutive games since November 23-26.
Jonas Hoglund leads Toronto with 19 goals and Sundin is tops with 32 points.
Saturday January 1, 2000 Toronto at Buffalo 7pm
The red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs look to extend their winning streak to a season-best seven games when they begin a home-and-home series with the division-rival Buffalo Sabres tonight. Toronto extended its winning streak on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Sergei Berezin and Jonas Hoglund had goals while Curtis Joseph lost his shutout bid with less than a minute remaining.
Toronto's 52 points is the best in the Eastern Conference and second to Detroit (55) for tops in the league.
Mats Sundin leads the club in points (31), is second in goals (15) and assists (16), and has recorded at least one point in 15 of his last 19 games. He also is among the league leaders with four game-winning tallies.
Joseph's 1.98 goals-against average is only one six-hundreths behind Detroit's Chris Osgood for the NHL lead and is tied with five other goaltenders with three shutouts. His 19 wins is one behind New Jersey's Martin Brodeur.
In the only previous meeting of the season, Toronto defeated Buffalo 3-2 on December 6. Steve Thomas scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Leafs to victory.
Buffalo is coming off its worst performance of the season, allowing a season-high in goals with Tuesday's 7-2 home setback to Detroit.
The Sabres have dropped two straight games and are fourth in the Northeast Division with 36 points, one behind Boston for third and a comfortable seven ahead of Montreal.
Miroslav Satan leads the Sabres with 17 goals and is tied with Michal Grosek for tops on the club with 24 points. Curtis Brown is the only other player in double-digit goals with 12.
Buffalo failed to score on both its power-play attempts on Tuesday and has scored only once in the last 48 chances with the man advantage.