TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs face the Washington Capitals at the Air Canada Centre tonight. The Leafs held a skate at the ACC this morning ahead of the game. Washington held an optional skate.

 * Nikita Zaitsev is among the more reserved players in the Leafs dressing room. The 25-year-old shies away from the media spotlight and downplays storylines when he does media sessions. But on Saturday morning he had to admit that this will be a special night for him. It's his first chance to play against countryman Alexander Ovechkin. "This is really good," he said. "I was waiting for this game so it's going to be interesting. He's a really good guy. They're all good Russian guys on their team so I'm excited." As for the challenge of trying to slow down Ovechkin? "That's huge," he said. "I'll try to do that today. He's one of the best players in the league so it's going to be interesting for me." 

 * Toronto's top pairing of Morgan Rielly and Zaitsev will be looking for a bounce-back effort after being on the ice for all three of New Jersey's even-strength goals on Wednesday. "We need Rielly to be our No. 1 guy every night," said coach Mike Babcock when asked to assess his defence so far this season. "We need him to be very good for us and that's not racing around the rink, that's playing without the puck and being a real good player. So, we need that to happen. We need the growth of Zaitsev to continue to take place. I think Jake Gardiner has been excellent this last while. Someone's got to decide who wants to be four, five and six. We got to get that figured out. It's up to them."

 * Ovechkin has exploited the Leafs over the years recording 57 points (32 goals) in 39 career games against Toronto. Zaitsev is just one of several Leafs rookies, who will likely be asked to shutdown Ovechkin. Connor Brown is a member of Toronto's match-up line and may play a lot against Ovechkin. "It will be cool to see him," said Brown. "We got to be dialled in tonight." Penalty-kill ace Zach Hyman will be locked in on Ovechkin should the Capitals get on the power play. "His one-timer can pretty much score from anywhere so you just got to try and limit the passes that get to him and if they do get to him block the shot," said Hyman, who leads all Toronto forwards with 2:43 SH TOI/G. After a slow start, the Capitals power play has been heating up scoring five goals in the last five games. The Capitals are 7-1-0 when they score on the PP this season. Babcock had a simple answer when asked how to shut down Washington's power play down tonight. "Discipline," he said. "Stay out of the box." Toronto has been shorthanded nine times in the last three games allowing three PPGs in that stretch.

 * Growing up in Arizona and dreaming of a hockey career, Auston Matthews wanted to watch all the NHL's top young players up close so he asked his parents for tickets to see Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on January 16, 2006. That night, Ovechkin scored what will go down as one of the greatest goals of his career. He beat goalie Brian Boucher from his back with a one-handed shot while sliding into the corner. "I was there. Kind of crazy," Matthews said with a smile. "It was unbelievable. That was back when Wayne Gretzky was coaching and he was looking and couldn't believe it. I think everybody in the stands, nobody really cheered, they really couldn't get their heads wrapped around what happened so it was pretty crazy." Tonight, Matthews plays against Ovechkin for the first time in the NHL although he's faced him already at the World Cup and World Championship. As for that goal in 2006, Matthews said it's among the greatest he's ever witnessed. "Yeah, probably. Yeah, for sure," Matthews said with a laugh. "Probably one of the best goals ever so, yeah, probably one the best goals I've ever seen."

 * Asked for a scouting report on the Leafs, Capitals bench boss Barry Trotz couldn't help but heap praise on a certain rookie, but not the first overall pick. "Obviously we talk about Auston Matthews, he's going to be a great player for a long time, but, you know, me not knowing Mitch Marner a lot, I got to know him a bit getting to see some of the Leafs pre-season games, but the puck follows that young man," Trotz said. "He's dynamic." Washington swept the three games from Toronto last season, but Trotz has warned his group that this Leafs team is different than what they're used to. "We have to be prepared for their speed. Our team hasn't seen the Leafs and I think the thing they'll be most surprised about is how quickly they play," Trotz said. On the white board in the Capitals room, the Marner line was listed first followed by Nazem Kadri line and then the Matthews line. 

 * For the second straight day, Nikita Soshnikov was part of the power play drills skating as the man in the middle on the unit that features Tyler Bozak, Marner, James van Riemsdyk and Rielly. Babcock was coy when asked whether the Russian rookie will play on the man advantage tonight. "We're just looking," he said. "That group hasn't been as effective for us." The Marner unit has combined for three goals this season while the Matthews power play unit has picked up nine. If Soshnikov is on the power play, he would replace Zaitsev, who has taken on a greater role on the penalty kill with Martin Marincin scratched. 

 * Lines at Leafs morning skate:

 van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner 

Komarov-Kadri-Brown

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Martin-Smith-Soshnikov 

Extras: Holland, Leivo 

 Rielly-Zaitsev

Hunwick-Polak

Gardiner-Carrick 

Extras: Marincin-Corrado 

 Andersen starts 

Enroth 

 * PP units at Leafs morning skate: 

 Gardiner

Matthews-Kadri-Nylander

Komarov

 Rielly

Marner-Soshnikov-Bozak

JVR