Mar 25, 2017
By Mark Masters
- Nazem Kadri will play the 400th game of his NHL career on Saturday night in Buffalo, which is the site of one of his favourite moments as a Maple Leaf. On March 21, 2013, Kadri scored twice against the Sabres in an eventual shootout loss. After his first goal, Kadri jumped into the glass where some Leafs fans were sitting. A photographer snapped this picture of the celebration:
"That's one of my favourite pictures," the 26-year-old said with a smile. "I got it actually on my wall. It seems like you're at the Air Canada Centre in that picture just with the amount of Leafs fans in the backdrop." There should be plenty of blue and white sweaters in the crowd on Saturday as the surging Leafs look to win consecutive games in Buffalo for the first time since 2008. Toronto won in its previous trip to the KeyBank Center this season when Frederik Andersen stopped 42 shots in a 2-1 victory on Nov. 3. "It almost seems like a home game for us," said Kadri recalling the atmosphere when Toronto ventures just across the border.
Kadri has a chance to create another special Buffalo moment on Saturday night as the Leafs continue an improbable playoff push. Toronto has surged into third place in the Atlantic Division and Kadri admits it's tough not to think about the finish line. "It's hard not to future-trip a little bit," he said, "especially for the guys who were here for the last playoff run (who saw) how immaculate and fantastic the entire energy was and how electric the atmosphere was." Kadri is one of five players left from that series against Boston in 2013. "It's just human nature because you work so hard to achieve a goal – you set a goal at the beginning of the season – and as the year comes to a close you start to realize that it's within reach. It's very exciting and it's very motivating as well, just to give an extra incentive to put our foot down on the gas."
Mike Babcock was informed that Kadri is playing his 400th game on Saturday. "Is he really?" the coach said interrupting the question. "Old dog, eh." An old dog who has learned some new tricks this season en route to 30 goals and 25 assists in 73 games. "He can be a lot better," Babcock said. "I think he needs this summer just to continue to do what he did last year, continue to grow on your body and continue to compete off the ice so he can be that much better on the ice. But, obviously, he's taken a big step." Kadri credits a culture change in the organization for helping him elevate his game. "The coaching staff's been unbelievable just guiding me in the right direction and obviously new management with the protection we've had and not kind of leaving you out to dry like what maybe happened early on in my career."
While there was a ton of positivity around the Leafs, the Sabres seemed a bit tired of hearing about how their neighbours to the north have rebuilt quicker. "Yeah, obviously they're ahead of us," said Jack Eichel when asked to compare the rebuilds. "They're ahead of us in the standings so it's frustrating." Thirteen points ahead to be exact. "We want to upset them," said Ryan O'Reilly. "We're rivals with them and that's the position we feel we should be in. We want to win this game."
- William Nylander is gaining momentum in the Calder Trophy race courtesy an impressive 10 game point streak, the longest ever by a Leafs rookie. His younger brother, Alexander Nylander, will be a big part of the Sabres rebuild, but hasn't progressed to the point where he's ready for the NHL. "I talk to him almost every day," William said. "He's learning. It's a different league so you take some time to get going there. He's been going up and down and hopefully he can finish the season off well. It's a learning process. Every player has to go through that stuff. He's learning and it will be a good year for him." Alexander, the eighth overall pick in last year's draft, has 26 points in 58 games this season with the Rochester Americans.
Does William rely on his brother Alexander for scouting reports on Sabres players before these games? "No, he really doesn't say much when we play the Sabres. He just watches the game and we'll talk after," big brother noted with a smile. Who's Alexander rooting for on Saturday night? William laughs. "I don't know," he said before quickly adding, "For sure the Sabres."
Nylander has been a quick study in his first full NHL campaign. It's no surprise to fellow Swede Robin Lehner. "He's obviously a very skilled player, but I also think he has an underlying grittiness to him," the Sabres’ goalie said. Babcock has noticed that lately as well. "He's more competitive each and every day," the coach said. "He's getting to the harder areas and you see that on the scoresheet. When you get to the hard areas you get more points." Nylander, meanwhile, continues to downplay his latest scoring spree. Is he shooting more as Auston Matthews suggested? "I don't know," Nylander said Thursday night, "Maybe." Is he more physical these days as Lehner observed? "I don't know. I haven't really been thinking about that. Maybe I have. Maybe that's helped my game."
- During Pittsburgh's win in Buffalo on Tuesday, Sidney Crosby speared O'Reilly below the belt. "It was a weird thing," the Sabres centre said on Saturday morning. "You know, it happens. I didn't expect it and he apologized after the play. It just threw me off. I wasn't expecting anything and then something happens. But he's a good guy and he's just playing hard and he takes a beating every night too so it happens." Did O'Reilly know it was the Penguins captain who hit him? "No, I didn't," he said. "I was watching the play, watching the puck and next thing I know I had a stick right to the crotch and it threw me off for sure. Off the one face-off he comes up as we’re skating down the ice and says, 'Yeah, sorry about that. I was kind of going for your stick.' And I go, 'Meh, it happens, I guess.' (Laughs) Would've been nice to have a penalty, but it happens."
- Lines at Leafs morning skate:
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Komarov-Kadri-Brown
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner
Martin-Boyle-Smith
Injured: Soshnikov, Leivo, Fehr
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Rielly-Carrick
Huwnick-Marchenko
Scratch: Marincin
Andersen starts
McElhinney