The Toronto Maple Leafs will be in tough against the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night as the Original Six rivals face-off at 7 p.m. on CBC.
Chicago is a perfect 4-0-0 against clubs from the Eastern Conference this season, and while the Leafs are undefeated against Western teams, they’ve only played one (26th-place Colorado).
Here are three things to keep an eye on during the Hockey Night in Canada matchup.
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1. Will the Leafs’ legs be sluggish?
The Blackhawks had the benefit of waiting in Toronto Friday while the home team was off playing in Columbus. When catching a team on the back end of a back-to-back games, stats show that the rested club wins 59.6 per cent of the time — putting the Maple Leafs at a statistical disadvantage. The Leafs have 15 back-to-back games this season, and this could be one of their toughest. A victory against the odds, on prime time, would be meaningful for group still in search of consistency.
2. Chicago’s weapons starting to heat up?
Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Doesn’t exactly sound like the makings of the NHL’s 18th-best offence, does it? Yet the Blackhawks don’t have a player among the league’s top 45 scorers and have been restricted to two goals or less in four of their last five outings. Chicago needed a bust-out night like Thursday’s 39-shot barrage in Ottawa; the forwards scored four goals, won the shootout, and Hossa collected his 1,000th point. With No. 1 goalie Corey Crawford (upper body) sidelined, you’d think allowing goals would be the concern, but backups Antti Raanta and Scott Darling (now reassigned to the AHL) were stellar in relief. If the offence has now broken the seal, look out.
3. Who gets blueline minutes for the home team?
The Maple Leafs caused a minor stir last weekend when they demoted rookie Stuart Percy to the AHL Marlies. General manager Dave Nonis stated before the season began that jobs were up for grabs, and in most eyes — three assists, 18-plus minutes of ice time — Percy hadn’t exactly deserved a demotion. But Toronto is trying to get alternate captain Stephane Robidas up to speed and give the skilled Jake Gardiner (he of the new $20.25-million contract) time to be selfish — in a good way. Now Percy has been called back up. Will the Leafs dress seven D-men? And who will get stuck logging time on the pine?
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