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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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The Maple Leafs held an optional skate on Saturday morning at the Air Canada Centre while the Bruins had a full skate. 

There wasn’t much of an update on Auston Matthews (shoulder) today. 

“We always tell you day-to-day, that usually means 10 (days) and then we go from there,” head coach Mike Babcock said. 

Considering that timeline, Matthews is likely to miss at least five games, including upcoming trips to Tampa, Florida, Washington and Buffalo. In the absence of their leading scorer, the Maple Leafs will be looking for others to step up and drive the attack. Based on his recent play, Mitch Marner is a prime candidate to do just that. Marner has racked up 15 points in 14 games since being put on a line with Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau. 

“He has been spectacular,” Babcock gushed. “It's unbelievable how good he's played. Obviously, he didn't have the kind of start he wanted, it took him time. You know, ‘Welcome to the league,’ it's hard. He's a good player and he plays with great energy. He has good energy as a person and I think that's contagious as well.”

What led to the improvement? Babcock said it may have a bit to do with playing with Kadri and Marleau. When pressed on the topic he noted coyly, "I have lots of theories on that, but I'm not going to share any of them with you. How's that?"

 

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Marner’s promotion in the lineup has led to tougher match-ups, but the 20-year-old's biggest test may come tonight against Boston’s three-headed monster of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, who have combined for 71 goals this season. 

Babcock moved Marner off the Kadri line at the start of Saturday's game, choosing to have Komarov take that spot. Marner slotted in with William Nylander and Zach Hyman. 

Marchand is a challenge on many levels, because he enjoys engaging in psychological warfare including actually kissing Leo Komarov in his last game against the Leafs on Nov. 11. 

“I wasn’t trying to make him uncomfortable,” Marchand recalled today with a grin. “I thought we were having a moment so it just kind of happened.”

“That probably left Leo a little bit confused in his mind not knowing, going forward, what the relationship was like,” said an amused Marner. “Marchand’s a competitive guy out there, trying to get under people’s skin and just tries to kind of confuse people out there and that’s a confusing thing to do to someone, but whatever works.”

 

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The Bruins dominated the Leafs in the last meeting between the two teams on Feb. 3. What has to change tonight? 

“Guys moving off the puck,” said Marner, “making sure that if someone has it, someone’s kind of busting up the middle to open up space for each other. When we’re doing our best that’s what we’re doing.”

Even without the suspended Marchand, the Bergeron line was very effective in the match-up against the Matthews group earlier this month. 

“Lots of times you play against the best lines in the league, or you think they're the best lines because of their numbers, but they don't check like that,” observed Babcock. “These guys, they flat-out know what they're doing.”

A four-time Selke winner, Bergeron is now earning some MVP buzz thanks to posting 52 points in 53 games. 

“He should definitely be up in the Hart Trophy race every year,” Marchand said. “You talk about the guys he plays against and hear how much they dislike playing against him and you realize how important he is to the team.”

“Bergy is a great man,” said Babcock, who’s coached the Bruins centre several times on the international stage. “He's won everything. The first time I ever had him was in '04 at the World Championships, I think he was 17 or 18 and he did everything right then. He's a good leader, he's a good person, he's what you want. The first shift of the game he goes off after 35 seconds, he doesn't milk it for 55. He does it right. That's what you want.”

This season Bergeron is scoring more. He's currently on pace for 42 goals, which would be 10 more than his previous NHL high. 

 

Head coach Bruce Cassidy points out that he's feeding Bergeron fewer defensive-zone starts this season. Per Natural Stat Trick, Bergeron is starting 61 per cent of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone, which is up from 55 per cent last season and 45 per cent two seasons ago.  

“It takes some burden of that part of the game off him,” Cassidy explained. “Even though he’ll get his match-ups every night, we like to start him in the offensive zone and it’s allowed him to play with the puck more.

“He’s found a soft spot in the slot,” Cassidy continued. “If you watch where he scores his goals from, I’d say 80 per cent of them are from that six-to-10-foot area in the slot and Marchy and Pasta find him there.”

The chemistry on the line is so good that opponents know exactly what’s coming and still struggle to deny it. 

“You know they’re looking for certain plays to Bergeron in the slot, because they run it so many times,” said defenceman Ron Hainsey, “but the way they do it, no look and so quickly (shakes head), I know we got burned on it in here in November. You don’t even think they’re going to do it and then they do it and you’re looking for something else.

“They move it quick, they move it without telegraphing it and they can finish. It’s a tough combo to deal with.”

And while the offence is flowing this season, Marchand is quick to note Bergeron always balances his skill with discipline. 

“If you want to be a high-end (offensive) guy, you have to cheat a bit,” Marchand said. “Everybody does it. You look at all the top guys in the league that score, they cheat. They definitely don’t play the defence he plays. So, if he wanted to go that way he could definitely be up there, but (he won’t and) that’s why we’re a good team and why he’s such an incredible leader.”

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The Leafs have won eight straight games at the Air Canada Centre, leaving them one away from matching the all-time franchise home win streak. Toronto won nine straight at home twice before (1953, 2007). 

Toronto hasn't loss at home since dropping a 4-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 22. 

And while the Leafs home streak remains alive, the joint run with the Raptors came to an end last night when the Milwaukee Bucks walked into Jurassic Park and claimed an overtime win. ​

From Jan. 28 to Feb. 22, the Air Canada Centre hosted 15 consecutive victories combined between the Leafs (eight) and Raptors (seven), which was the longest consecutive win streak in the 19-year history of the building, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The previous longest consecutive win streak took place from March 20 to April 15, 2007 with 13 consecutive victories between the Leafs (six) and Raptors (seven).

 

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Babcock was glued to his television on Saturday morning watching the Canada-Czech bronze-medal game from South Korea. 

“How about Team Canada?” Babcock asked reporters as he walked to the podium for his pre-game briefing. “Bronze medal, outstanding!”

Canada beat the Czech Republic 6-4 to reach the podium. The result came one day after Canada suffered a heartbreaking upset against Germany. 

“Yesterday Team Canada had their heart ripped out of their chest,” Babcock noted. “I think that's what life is about, it's not what happens to you, it's how you respond from it. To get back up and get 'er done today, impressive. For Tom Renney, Sean Burke, Scott Salmond – who else? – Willie [Desjardins], [Dave King], Scott Walker and all the players, congratulations, a job well done. Proud of you.”

Marchand was also feeling proud sending a congratulatory text to his former Bruins teammate Chris Kelly, who wore the ‘C’ for Canada in Pyeongchang and scored twice in Saturday's win.

“Either his phone’s not working or he’s breezing me right now,” Marchand said with a grin. “Captain Canada’s too big now to talk. But very, very happy for him and Team Canada. It’s an incredible accomplishment and to see him go through everything he’s gone through and have the career he’s had and have an Olympic medal, it’s incredible for him. It’s going to be something he remembers forever.”

 

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Projected line-up for Saturday’s game: 

 

Marleau-Kadri-Marner 

Hyman-Nylander-Brown 

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Kapanen

Komarov-Moore-Leivo 

Scratch: Martin 

Injured: Matthews 

 

Rielly-Hainsey 

Gardiner-Zaitsev 

Dermott-Polak 

Scratch: Carrick 

 

Andersen starts 

McElhinney