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| 4:00 PM PT5:00 PM MT6:00 PM CT7:00 PM ET0:00 GMT8:00 5:00 PM MST7:00 PM EST4:00 UAE (+1)19:00 ETNaN:� BRT, February 24, 2023 Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario Attendance: 18,575 |
Wild head to Toronto hoping to extend win streak to 5
Minnesota Wild at Toronto Maple Leafs
- The Maple Leafs held on for a 4-3 win at Minnesota on Nov. 25, extending their point streak in the series to five games (4-0-1). The last seven meetings in Toronto have been decided by two goals or fewer, with the Wild going 4-3-0.
- The Maple Leafs are coming off their third win in four games, a 6-3 victory over Buffalo on Tuesday as Ryan O'Reilly recorded a hat trick in his third game with Toronto. Over the last two seasons, they're 9-2-2 at home against Central Division teams.
- Mitchell Marner on Tuesday recorded the first five-assist game by a Maple Leaf since Doug Gilmour on Jan. 22, 1997. He's fifth in the NHL with 51 assists and has four goals and seven assists during a six-game point streak against Minnesota.
- The Wild made it four straight wins and snapped a five-game road skid with a 2-0 blanking of Columbus on Thursday. They've gone nine games and 20 chances without allowing a power-play goal and are 4-3-0 this season in the second game when playing on back-to-back nights.
- Kirill Kaprizov has four goals and four assists during a six-game road point streak, one shy of the career best he set last season from Dec. 20-Feb. 2. He needs two goals to tie Nino Niederreiter (110) for seventh place on the Wild's all-time list.
- John Tavares had a goal and three assists on Tuesday for his second four-point game of the season and fourth since signing with the Leafs in 2018. He has 11 goals and 15 assists since Jan. 5, his most productive 20-game span since Oct. 30-Dec. 11, 2021.
The Minnesota Wild will try to extend their winning streak to five games Friday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Minnesota opened a two-game trip Thursday night with a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets as Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 30 shots to earn his 73rd career shutout.
The Maple Leafs are coming off a 6-3 road victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, Ryan O'Reilly scored three goals in his third game with Toronto and Mitchell Marner had a career-best five assists.
In Columbus, Fleury was at his best during a third-period flurry by the Blue Jackets.
"We didn't expect anything different from (Fleury)," Wild coach Dean Evason said. "If anyone did, then they haven't watched his entire career."
Brandon Duhaime and Kirill Kaprizov scored first-period goals for Minnesota.
"Our first key was discipline," Evason said. "We've had problems with it this year. I think every team probably does. But our group, if we stay out of the penalty box, it gives our five-on-five game a chance to score five-on-five and it gives our penalty kill a chance to have success. So, we have to continue to harp on staying out of the box."
Minnesota put defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower-body injury) on injured reserve on Thursday.
The Wild recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from the Iowa of the American Hockey League, where the 29-year-old had five goals and 19 assists in 46 games.
Mermis and Calen Addison were into the lineup at Columbus with Jon Merrill (illness) not with the team.
"Mermis and Addy came in and played extremely well," Evason said.
Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno played his first game since he blocked a shot with his left knee on Feb. 13 against the Florida Panthers.
"We liked our defense, period," Evason said. "The six guys that played and obviously (Fleury), but the forwards, too. We competed. ...
"To have a lead and play a stingy defensive game is absolutely perfect for us."
The Wild defense will face a stern test against the Maple Leafs.
O'Reilly and Noel Acciari were obtained in a trade on Feb. 17 from the St. Louis Blues. They made an immediate impact in games before having their first practice with the Maple Leafs on Thursday.
"Obviously, they're excited to be here," Toronto center Auston Matthews said. "It's been fun to get to know them. We've gotten a big boost (from them), a lot of really good energy is flowing. That's what you look for when you pick up key guys like that.
"We've been really welcoming. I think they've come in here and made themselves at home and it's been a lot of fun."
O'Reilly is playing center on a line with Marner and John Tavares, usually a center who moved to the wing.
Tavares had a goal and three assists on Tuesday and O'Reilly added an assist to give the line a total of 13 points.
The line produced three goals and nine points in the first 7:14 of the game.
"They were at their best right from the start," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. "That line, our team in general, our team game in that first period, it was as dominant as we've been all season long. It was tremendous to see."
Toronto announced Wednesday that defenseman Jake Muzzin (cervical spine injury) will be out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
--Field Level Media
Updated February 24, 2023
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