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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Leafs and St. Louis Blues held morning skates at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. 

Did head coach Mike Babcock say anything to Morgan Rielly after the defenceman made a couple costly mistakes leading to late goals in Toronto's last two games?

“Oh yeah. I asked him if he needed a hug," the coach said with a deadpan delivery. "He's a big boy; he knows what's going on. At the key minutes of the game though, if you're watching like me, you know who's involved in all of those plays and it's not just him.”

Toronto stumbled into the break and will be looking to get back on track tonight against the Blues. And, for Babcock, the turnaround starts at the top. 

“When you're having success, your best players are your best players," he said. "We've got to do a better job of that than we’ve done in December.”​

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Rielly is eager to get back at it after spending the bye week in the Bahamas alongside Auston Matthews and Frederik Andersen

“When you’re able to relax that kind of eases the mind a little bit, but by the end of the break you’re looking forward to getting back and playing again," he said. 

And Rielly is more than happy to eat up some big minutes should Babcock keep calling his number. The alternate captain has seen his ice time spike since Nikita Zaitsev got hurt on Dec. 15 and doesn't believe the increased playing time has contributed to the recent late-game errors. 

“I don’t think there’s too much of an adjustment," he said. "We’re all in good shape. I mean, the more you play the more of a rhythm you get into.”

This morning, the Leafs watched video from November's 6-4 loss in St. Louis. 

"There are lots of things we can do better," said Rielly. "Obviously, when you lose a game like that you feel like you owe them a little bit.”

Rielly will be paying very close attention to Vladimir Tarasenko tonight. The Russian sniper has six goals in eight career games against the Leafs, including an overtime winner at the Air Canada Centre last season. 

“His shot is a huge asset," said Rielly. "He’s a big guy, likes to get to the net. He’s a very good player. It’s going to take a group effort to try and limit their opportunities.”

Tarasenko has four goals and four assists in the last seven games. 

“Sometimes when guys have the puck they look up hoping someone’s open, but he’s always got that ability to find the open space and just the release he has," said Blues centre Brayden Schenn when asked what impressed him about Tarasenko. "It’s unbelievable how he pretty much flicks his wrist and it’s pretty much in the back of the net.”

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Matthews has failed to pick up a point in three career games against the Blues, which makes St. Louis the only team the sophomore centre has not hit the scoresheet against. 

“They’re big," said Matthews. "They make it pretty tough to get to their net where you want to score goals so that presents a challenge. But we’re a big, strong, heavy team as well.”

In the last game between the two teams on Nov. 4, the Blues were able to land some hits on Matthews leading to a back injury and an eventual five-game absence. 

“He’s strong on the puck," said St. Louis defenceman Alex Pietrangelo when asked for a scouting report on Matthews. "The amount of skill he has and the way he skates with his shot, it’s kind of like handling a guy like Vlady (Tarasenko), when they’re strong on the puck you have to make sure you’re ready for, you know, whether he’s going to take the body on you or try to protect the puck.”

Matthews should see a lot of Blues captain, who has 30 points in 42 games. 

“He’s big," said Matthews, who was held without a point in the last two games. "He skates well. He’s really good offensively so he’s jumping up in the play all the time, which definitely creates problems for you at both ends of the ice. He’s obviously an elite defenceman.”

Pietrangelo said the bye week came at a good time for the Blues who, like the Leafs, have stumbled a bit of late. The defenceman has also seen his game fall off a bit after a scintillating start. 

“For the past couple weeks (his level) hasn’t been quite as high as what he was earlier," said head coach Mike Yeo, "but for the first couple months in the season I don’t know if there’s anyone in the league who could touch him with the way he was defending but also having the ability to create offence.”

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Jake Allen has just one win in his last nine decisions and will be benched tonight in favour of Carter Hutton

"Obviously, there's been a lot of talk about Jake and that's understandable," said Yeo. "We're not going to try and dodge that. Jake's not going to try to dodge that. He's not solely to blame for the losses, but he would also be the first admit there's another level to his game and we're confident he'll get there."

Allen's save percentage has dipped to .908 on the year while Hutton owns a sparkling .940 mark in 16 games this season. 

"He's played well," said Yeo, "so he deserves to be in."

Lines at Leafs morning skate: 

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Marleau-Kadri-Komarov 

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner

Martin-Gauthier-Brown

Soshnikov 

 

Rielly-Hainsey

Gardiner-Carrick

Dermott-Polak

Borgman-Leivo

 

Andersen starts 

McElhinney