Staff Writer
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have demolished the Toronto Maple Leafs twice this season, will be on home ice Thursday night, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will find out if it will help them.
In the opening game of the two-game series, the Penguins trounced the Maple Leafs 5-2 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
On November 16, four days before Mike Babcock was fired as Toronto’s head coach by Sheldon Keefe, the Penguins also thrashed the Maple Leafs 6-1 in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins are 8-2-1 in their last 11 games and have won three consecutive.
Sidney Crosby, the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had a goal and three assists on Tuesday, remarked, “Everyone is contributing.” “Our urgency and work ethic have been present every night. When we do, we give ourselves a chance.
The Maple Leafs have dropped two straight games and have a record of 6-5-1 in their last 12 games.
Toronto believes that their lack of haste has caused them harm.
“Ultimately, as we look at the different things, whether it’s giving up leads in the third period a couple weeks ago, getting scored on early at home ice, or, today, special teams or what have you, I think the common denominator is just that the overall urgency and competitiveness of the group (have been lacking),” Keefe said.
Jake Muzzin, a defenseman for the Maple Leafs, notices a lack of enthusiasm.
Muzzin, who had an assist on Tuesday, said, “We’ve got to find the urgency, the emotion, the love of the game, the love to compete for each other. “Everything that needs to arrive. I’m not sure why it’s missing.
Tuesday’s second period saw Pittsburgh up 5-0 thanks to three goals from its resurgent power play.
The submissions tonight were pretty strong, said to Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. “They’re just choosing wisely. They are collaborating. We have the makings of an exciting power play when they do that. We’re hoping we can get some self-assurance and momentum.
The Penguins had an 18.9 percent success rate on the power play after the first 45 games of the season, including 28 without Crosby. The Penguins have played 13 games with the man advantage since Crosby underwent sports hernia surgery on January 14 and are 13-for-42 (31 percent) in those games.
As a coaching staff, “we always talk. Sid plays chess when some of the other guys are playing checkers,” Sullivan added. “He is the kind of player you described. He has such excellent vision and is such a clever player.
Due to sickness, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin had to be scratched from Tuesday’s game. The player who was slated to miss the game, Anthony Angello, took his place and notched his first NHL goal. Malkin was traveling to Toronto.
Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry turned away 34 shots, while Toronto’s Frederik Andersen made 19 save. On Thursday, Andersen is anticipated to make his third straight start. He just got over his neck injury.
In a deal on Wednesday, the Maple Leafs acquired center Denis Malgin from the Florida Panthers in exchange for left winger Mason Marchment. In 36 games this season with the Panthers, Malgin, 23, recorded four goals and eight assists.
Andreas Johnsson, a left winger for Toronto, will also be out for about six months after having knee surgery on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the Penguins placed defenseman John Marino on injured reserve and recalled Zach Trotman from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. On February 10, Marino underwent surgery to fix damaged bones in his face.
