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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Frederik Andersen skated Tuesday for a fifth time since injuring his neck on Feb. 3, but will not play tonight. 

"Just part of the process," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He was wanting to get another skate in today and see how it felt and he's been progressing very well and working towards a return, but not quite there yet."

Andersen looked good during a workout with goalie coach Steve Briere and Leafs players were asked about the all-star's seemingly imminent return during their media session. 

"It'll be great," said Auston Matthews. "Obviously, he's our guy. He's kind of the backbone of this team, so whether he comes back tonight or later on this week, it will be great for us."

Andersen made it clear Monday that this injury is a tricky one to play through. 

"Just making sure I can play the way I need to," he explained, "and managing the symptoms that have been coming. So, me and the medical staff have taken it really good, being patient and making sure we don't rush anything."

So, Jack Campbell starts for the third straight game. He's stopped 54 of 60 shots since the trade and that .900 save percentage matches his mark with the Kings in 20 games this season. Campbell expressed a level of displeasure in his own performance after both of his starts for Toronto.

"I just know this team needs two points," he said in Montreal. "We got one and I take responsibility for that second one lost."

Campbell was unhappy with his positioning on the tying goal by Marco Scandella.

"I just made one little error," he said. "All night the key for me was (something) coach Briere gave me on the plane which was, 'Stick on the puck the whole night,' and that kind of drove my eyes down on the puck all night and ... on that one I was trying to stay a little bigger."

Keefe likes that the 28-year-old expects a lot from himself. 

"I just like the confidence that he has in himself and the confidence that he brings to our team," the coach noted. "He's excited for every opportunity that comes about and (it) doesn't matter how it comes about, he's ready for it. Whether it's coming in and playing right away in essentially his first day with us or playing on back-to-back nights or playing today when maybe he wasn't necessarily coming to the arena thinking that he would be starting, he's prepared and ready for everything that comes."

​After Antti Raanta played Monday night in Montreal, Adin Hill is the projected starter for the Coyotes. He's started seven of Arizona's past 14 games (2-3-2, .916 save percentage in that stretch). 

 

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After missing practice due to illness Monday, defenceman Justin Holl skated briefly this morning. John Tavares also missed yesterday's workout and while he didn't skate this morning, Toronto's captain did take part in the team meeting. 

"They're going to be game-time decisions just given what they've been going through, but they're in the building this morning and feeling a lot better than yesterday," Keefe said, striking an optimistic note. "We'll have extras in warm-up and make our decision at that time."

 

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Matthews will face his hometown team for an eighth time and, apparently, his buddies back home have had no problem defecting from Coyotes Nation. 

"A lot of my friends are Leafs fans now, so it's kind of nice," the 22-year-old said. 

Despite his rising profile in the NHL, Matthews remains under-the-radar back home. 

"Pretty low profile there," he said of life in the desert. "It's nice to go back … and be a normal kid back there. I enjoy going back in the summer, but I love everything about Toronto and everything that comes with it."

Playing in a hockey hotbed, Matthews often has his game dissected shift by shift, but Keefe made the argument after Friday's win that the centre isn't getting enough attention for how well-rounded his game has become. 

Today, Keefe was asked if Matthews has the potential to be a two-way force in the NHL.

"I see great potential for that. I think we're already seeing it,” Keefe said. “He's really recognizing that the skill level that he has, a lot of it is about his speed and physicality and strength on the puck – both in protecting it and being able to get shots off in tight spaces – (and now) he's utilizing those same skill-sets to help him defensively."

The team's injury-ravaged defence corps certainly appreciates the attention to detail Matthews has shown in his own end. 

"He's just so easy to play with in the defensive zone," observed rookie Rasmus Sandin. "Just when you have the puck and you're trying to break out you barely have to look. You can just put the puck in the only place you can put it and he'll be there. I feel like he's always in the right position, especially when we're breaking the puck out. He's good communicating out there and helping everybody out, so just a really easy guy to play with."

Matthews notes he may be benefiting from Keefe's possession-based system, which minimizes the amount of time he spends playing defence. But when he does have to defend, Matthews is locked in.

"I just feel like defensively, just been in better spots, moving my feet more," Matthews said. "Just being in good spots and competing and when we get the puck not really throwing it away too often."

Tied with Alex Ovechkin for the league lead with 40 goals, Matthews is also second among NHL forwards in takeaways with 61, trailing only Vegas winger Mark Stone. 

"He's closing on people quickly," added Keefe. "He's taking the puck back from them; he's strong on his stick. He's stripped the puck from behind on more guys in just the last week than I think we've had in quite some time. He's leading the way in that department."

 

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Coming up in the MODO system in Sweden, Sandin spent summers training in the same facility as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Could he tell them apart? 

"It was tough sometimes, I’ll tell you that," the 19-year-old said with a chuckle. 

Sandin appreciated it when the twins wore Canucks gear featuring their numbers. Those numbers – 22 for Daniel and 33 for Henrik – will be retired by the Canucks on Wednesday. 

It was also helpful that the legendary Sedins made sure to introduce themselves to everyone around the gym. 

"No matter if you are 10 or 20 years old, they always came up to you and asked how you were doing," Sandin recalled. "They worked extremely hard and they were really specific with how they're working out and they know what they want to improve on. It was fun to see them close up."

Now, Sandin is paying it forward in a way. He's helping his buddy and former AHL defence partner Timothy Liljegren get up to speed in the NHL, even though his 20-year-old countryman is a bit older. 

"It's not only on the pairing," Sandin said with a smile. "Outside (the rink) I'm the guy that has to drag him around and show him everything and cook for him and stuff."

What's chef Sandin's speciality?  

"Something to order," he said with a laugh.