GAME DAY PREVIEWS
Updated: Wednesday March 31, 1999 6:02PM EST
Wednesday March 31, 1999 Toronto at Vancouver 10pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to reach 40 wins for the first time since the 1993-94 season as they begin a three-game western Canadian swing against the Vancouver Canucks. Toronto scored twice in the final seven minutes of the third period Saturday, rallying for a 2-2 home tie against the Boston Bruins. But the Maple Leafs have dropped 10 points behind Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa in the Northeast Division and are battling for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Toronto is tied for fifth place in the East, one point behind Pittsburgh.
The Maple Leafs have struggled recently, going just 2-4-1 in their last seven games, but they rippped Carolina, 7-2, in their last road contest on Friday.
Vancouver is coming off Monday's 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes and has won consecutive games for the first time since sweeping Calgary in a home-and-home series on December 22-23.
The Canucks are going for their first three-game winning streak of the season, but are still in the basement in the Western Conference, 13 points behind Calgary for the final playoff spot.
Garth Snow turned aside 22 shots against Phoenix for his fifth shutout of the season. He recorded just three shutouts in his previous 109 contests, serving mainly as a backup.
The teams have split two meetings this season. The Canucks posted a 4-1 victory in Vancouver on October 17 before the Leafs rebounded with a 5-1 win in Toronto on November 25.
Saturday March 27, 1999 Boston at Toronto 7pm
Riding a five-game unbeaten streak, the Boston Bruins seek to put more distance between themselves and the bottom of the Eastern Conference tonight when they visit explosive Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins have answered challenges from both the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, going 3-0-2 in their last five games and 10-3-2 in the last 15 contests. Boston holds the eighth and final playoff beth in the East, five points ahead of Florida, six in front of the Rangers and just two behind seventh-place Buffalo.
Boston has been dominant during the unbeaten streak, outscoring the opposition, 16-7, while going 8-for-24 on the power play.
Bruins right wing Steve Heinze has seven goals in his last seven games and captain Ray Bourque has two goals and four assists during a five-game points streak.
Toronto had a big offensive night for the second straight game but won for the first time with Friday's 7-2 rout of Carolina. The Leafs have scored 12 goals in the last two contests and lead the league with 229.
Toronto, which has won just twice in its last six games, is fifth in the East, one point behind Pittsburgh and two ahead of Philadelphia. The Leafs are a longshot to catch first-place Ottawa in the Northeast, sitting seven points behind the Senators.
The Bruins have won three of four meetings with the Leafs this season. Boston's Dmitri Khristich has three goals versus the Leafs but is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Friday March 26, 1999 Toronto at Carolina 7pm
The struggling Toronto Maple Leafs look to shake their funk tonight when they visit the first-place Carolina Hurricanes.
Toronto backup goaltender Glenn Healy was burned for seven goals on 26 shots in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the red-hot San Jose Sharks. The Leafs have lost four of their last five games and will try to avoid matching a season-high three-game losing streak.
Pat Quinn's team had its sights set on first place in the Northeast Division and perhaps the Eastern Conference a short time ago but that is almost out of the question now. The Leafs have fallen into a tie with Philadelphia for fifth place, eight points behind Ottawa and just three ahead of Buffalo.
One bright spot for Toronto in Wednesday's loss was the power play, which went 2-for-6 after going scoreless in its previous 25 opportunities.
The Hurricanes ended a season-high four-game winless streak by edging the New York Islanders, 2-1, on Wednesday.
Carolina has won five of its last six home games and is seven points ahead of second-place Florida in the Southeast Division with 10 games remaining. The Hurricanes are closing in on the franchise's first division title since the Hartford Whalers captured the Adams Division in 1986-87.
Left wing Andrei Kovalenko has fit in nicely since joining the Hurricanes in a trade with Philadelphia. He has four goals in eight games with Carolina after collecting just one assist in 13 contests with the Flyers.
The Hurricanes are unbeaten against the Leafs this season (2-0-1).
Wednesday March 24, 1999 San Jose at Toronto 7:30pm
Peaking at the right time, the San Jose Sharks try to extend their season-high unbeaten streak to seven games tonight agaist the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sharks got another stellar performance from Steve Shields in a 1-1 tie against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. The tie was the second straight for San Jose, which is 4-0-2 during its longest unbeaten streak since a seven-game run from (4-0-3) April 1-15, 1998.
The surge has moved the Sharks into seventh place in the Western Conference, three points behind St. Louis and three ahead of Calgary.
One of the many reasons for San Jose's strong showing of late has been Shields, who has allowed just nine goals in his last six starts.
The Sharks acquired veteran center Vincent Damphousse from Montreal at Tuesday's trade deadline in exchange for a 1999 fifth-round draft pick, a 2000 second-round pick and future considerations. Despite a disappointing season, Damphousse is a former 40-goal scorer who should step right in as the No. 1 center in San Jose.
The Maple Leafs have dropped eight points behind Ottawa for first in the Northeast Division and are battling Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto suffered its third loss in four games Monday, 3-1 to the Flyers, and is 4-6 in March.
Special teams continues to be a sore spot for the Leafs, who have gone 0-for-26 on the power play in the last seven games. They also have surrendered seven power-play goals in 20 chances over the last four contests.
The Leafs made a move at the deadline, acquiring center Yanic Perreault from Los Angeles for right wing Jason Podollan and a 1999 third-round draft pick.
The Sharks have won the last two games against the Leafs after going 0-6-1 in the previous seven meetings.
Monday March 22, 1999 Philadelphia at Toronto 7:30pm
Having snapped their franchise-record 12-game winless streak Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers look to make it two in a row tonight when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Eric Lindros scored with 1:53 remaining Sunday as Philadelphia rallied for a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers erased a pair of two-goal deficits, scoring three times in the third period.
It was Philadelphia's first win since February 21. The Flyers played without coach Roger Neilson, who served the first of his two-game suspension for last week's stick-throwing incident in St. Louis.
John LeClair had a goal and two assists after missing four games with a hip flexor. LeClair and Lindros each scored their 39th goal, tying Ottawa's Alexei Yashin for second in the league.
Philadelphia is in sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres. The Flyers are still only five points behind New Jersey, the Atlantic Division leader.
Toronto has fallen eight points behind Northeast leader Ottawa and is trying to hold on to second place in the division. The Maple Leafs hold a four-point lead over third-place Buffalo after snapping a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over New Jersey on Saturday.
Toronto right wing Steve Thomas returned after missing three contests with a fractured toe.
The Flyers are 2-1 this season against Toronto, but the Leafs earned a 4-3 win at Philadelphia in the last meeting January 16.
Saturday March 20, 1999 New Jersey at Toronto 7pm
The New Jersey Devils look to extend their road unbeaten streak to eight games and mover closer to the NHL record for road wins in a season as they complete a five-game road swing with a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jason Arnott made a successful return to the Skyreach Centre, picking up two goals and an assist, to power the Devils to their league-leading 24th road win, 4-1 over the slumping Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
New Jersey has won the first four games of the road swing and are 7-0-1 in its last eight contests away from home. The Devils are 7-1-1 in their last nine games overall and trail the Ottawa Senators by three points for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The Devils have six games left on the road after tonight as they aim for the all-time record for road wins in a season. New Jersey is 24-8-2 on the road, three wins shy of tying the Montreal Canadiens for the most in one season. The Habs finished with 27 road wins in both 1976-77 and 1977-78.
After winning consecutive games, the Maple Leafs have dropped their last two, including a 4-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. A loss tonight would give the Leafs their second three-game losing streak of the season. They also dropped three in a row from October 26-31.
Toronto is fifth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The season series is tied, 1-1-1.
Wednesday March 17, 1999 Boston at Toronto 7:30pm
The Boston Bruins hope to maintain their slim lead in the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they face the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first visit to the Air Canada Centre. The Bruins are eighth in the East with 68 points, just one ahead of the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. Boston has two games in hand on the Rangers.
After posting a critical 5-4 victory against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday, the Bruins suffered a 3-1 loss in Buffalo the following day.
Defenseman Ray Bourque played his 1,437th game with the Bruins, breaking Hall of Famer Johnny Bucyk's team record. Bourque is third in NHL history with 1,073 assists and 11th on the all-time points list with 1,455.
The Bruins suffered a 6-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on January in their final appearance at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Toronto had a two-game winning snapped with a 2-1 loss in Montreal on Saturday and has fallen five points behind conference leader Ottawa in the Northeast Division. Center Mats Sundin picked up his 700th career point in the loss.
The Maple Leafs have split their last eight games and are fourth overall in the East, one point ahead of Pittsburgh in the battle for home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
Toronto is 1-2 against the Bruins this season, dropping both meetings in Boston.
Saturday March 13, 1999 Toronto at Montreal 7pm
The Montreal Canadiens look to keep their heads above water in the crowded Eastern Conference playoff race tonight when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jeff Hackett stopped 41 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and newcomers Dainius Zubrus and Scott Lachance paid immediate dividends as Montreal blanked the St. Louis Blues, 3-0, on Thursday.
The victory stopped a three-game winless streak for the Canadiens, who trail the eighth-place Boston Bruins by seven points with 16 games remaining. Montreal also has to vault over Florida and the New York Rangers in order to catch Boston.
Montreal had won five straight home games before getting outscored, 11-3, in losses to Tampa Bay and Florida in the last two contests at the Molson Centre.
Canadiens center Saku Koivu has two goals and six assists during a six-game points streak.
The Maple Leafs received another tremendous performance from goaltender Curtis Joseph in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Joseph made 41 saves Thursday and has turned aside 80 of 82 shots in his last two starts.
Toronto, which has won two straight after losing two in a row, is just five points behind Ottawa for first in the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference. The Leafs also are three points ahead of Philadelphia for the fourth seed in the East.
Toronto has scored a league-leading 211 goals but the power play is ranked 19th in the league and is just 3-for-38 in the last 11 games.
The Leafs have won two of three meetings this season with their longtime rivals. All three contests have been decided by one goal.
Thursday March 11, 1999 Toronto at Ny Islanders 7:30pm
The Toronto Maple Leafs look to keep the surging Ottawa Senators in sight tonight when they visit the New York Islanders, who are mired in a five-game winless streak. Toronto is second in the Northeast Division, seven points behind red-hot Ottawa, which leads the Eastern Conference. The Leafs also are trying to hold off Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for fourth place in the conference and home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
Pat Quinn's team rebounded from a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Monday with a 6-1 thumping of lowly Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The Leafs have dropped three of their last five games overall and two straight on the road.
Toronto brings a quartet of former Islanders into tonight's meeting. Left wing Derek King, right wing Steve Thomas, defenseman Bryan Berard and backup goaltender Glenn Healy all spent time on Long Island.
The last-place Islanders battled to a 2-2 tie with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, moving to 0-3-2 in their last five games. New York has won only once in its last eight contests (1-5-2) and is better than only Chicago and Tampa Bay overall.
Islanders right wing Zigmund Palffy has provided the bulk of the team's offense recently with four goals and seven assists during a seven-game points streak.
The teams have split two meetings this season with the Leafs posting a 4-1 victory on Long Island on February 25.
Tuesday March 9, 1999 Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:30pm
Coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss in New York, the Toronto Maple Leafs return home tonight to host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Maple Leafs saw a 2-1 third-period lead disintegrate at Madison Square Garden Monday night, as Peter Nedved scored the game-tying tally and added the overtime winner with just 14 seconds left.
Toronto has lost three of its last four games, but remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 75 points. Mats Sundin leads the Leafs with 64 points and Sergei Berezin has a team-high 24 goals.
Tampa Bay seemed well on its way to a rare three-game winning streak when the Ottawa Senators exploded for eight straight goals in a 9-3 rout Monday.
Benoit Hogue and Mike Sillinger both scored first-period goals for the Lightning before the Senators' onslaught. Hogue, who was mentioned in several trade rumors early in the season due to his low production, has six goals and five assists in his last nine games.
The Leafs have won the last six meetings between the clubs, including all three encounters this season. Curtis Joseph blanked the Lightning 3-0 in Tampa Bay on February 2.
Monday March 8, 1999 Toronto at Ny Rangers 7:30pm
The surging New York Rangers hope the injury bug does not bite them again tonight when they open a three-game homestand against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Already without captain Wayne Gretzky, right wing Todd Harvey and defensman Peter Popovic and Jeff Beukeboom, New York lost the services of defensman Ulf Samuelsson in Sunday's 3-1 win over Boston. Samuelsson left the contest with facial contusions after being checked by the Bruins' Ken Belanger.
Toronto fell five points behind Ottawa for first place in the Northeast Division with a 3-1 loss to the Senators on Saturday. Derek King scored the lone goal for the Leafs.
The Rangers and Maple Leafs have played each other in three high-scoring contests with each team winning once and tying another. Adam Graves has three goals against Toronto this season. The Rangers are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden, including six straight wins.
The Rangers are riding a five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) and are 3-0-1 in their last four home outings. Despite having his three-game goal streak snapped, Graves has scored four goals and added two assists in his last five outings.
Saturday March 6, 1999 Toronto at Ottawa 7pm
The Ottawa Senators put their five-game home winning streak on the line tonight when they battle the Toronto Maple Leafs for third time this season. Ottawa moved two points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 5-0 thumping of the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. Alexei Yashin recorded a hat trick and has four goals in his last two games.
The Senators have outscored the opposition 9-2 in the last two games, but the defense has been just as impressive. They have given up only one power-play goal in 11 shorthanded situations and have not allowed a goal in 105 minutes, six seconds.
The Maple Leafs used the Kings -- Kris and Derek -- in winning the first two meetings between the teams this season, avenging a pair of defeats last season. Kris King scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory on November 14 and Derek King tallied in overtime for a 3-2 triumph two weeks thereafter. Both games were in Toronto.
Toronto opened a three-game road swing -- it is 4-1-1 in its last six away from home -- with a 4-0 blanking of the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Igor Korolev has a goal and three assists during a four-game points streak.
Thursday March 4, 1999 Toronto at St. Louis 8pm
With their sights set on first place in the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs face the St. Louis Blues, who look to extend their season-high winning streak to four games.
The Maple Leafs allowed five unanswered goals in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. The setback snapped a three-game unbeaten and was the second loss in eight games (4-2-2) for Toronto.
Toronto is second in the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference, three points behind Ottawa and New Jersey, respectively.
If Leafs coach Pat Quinn chooses not to start Curtis Joseph against his former team, he should be confident in backup Glen Healy, who is 4-1-0 with a 2.18 goals-against average.
The Blues completed a perfect road trip with a 5-1 rout of the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. St. Louis won all three games on the trip and has captured six straight on the road, but has not played nearly as well at the Kiel Center, going 2-8-1 in its last 11 contests there.
St. Louis is sixth in the West, three points behind red-hot Anaheim and three ahead of Edmonton.
Defensive center Craig Conroy has become one of the Blues' leading offensive threats of late, collecting five goals and two assists in the last five games.
Toronto posted a 4-2 victory in St. Louis on January 21 in the first meeting between the teams this season.
Wednesday March 3, 1999 New Jersey at Toronto 7:30pm
A couple of teams riding three-game unbeaten streaks and looking at first place in the Eastern Conference meet tonight at the Air Canada Centre as the New Jersey Devils face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils improved to 2-0-1 in their last three games with Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. New Jersey is 4-2-2 in its last eight games overall and has a league-leading 19 road wins.
New Jersey is one point ahead of second-place Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division and just two behind conference-leading Ottawa.
The Devils are getting good production from several players of late. In its last four games, the line of Jason Arnott, Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias has combined for six goals and 12 assists, while Brian Rolston has four goals in his last three games.
Toronto rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday and is still unbeaten in its new home (2-0-1). The Leafs have only one loss in their last seven contests (4-1-2) and are three points behind Ottawa for first in the Northeast Division and first in the conference.
Former Devil Steve Thomas is enjoying a rebirth in Toronto. Thomas, who had 24 points in 55 games with New Jersey last season, is second on the Leafs with 53 points and tied for the team lead with 22 goals.
Captain Mats Sundin has four goals and six assists during a six-game points streak.
Toronto is 1-0-1 against New Jersey this season.