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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Lightning held morning skates at Amalie Arena ahead of Thursday's game in Tampa.
 

 What would a win against the league-leading Lightning mean to the Maple Leafs? 

"It would mean a lot," said centre Nazem Kadri, who has just one goal in 18 games. "It's, obviously, a good measuring stick. It's a game that could kick-start a run for us, which is what we'd like to go on. So, we're taking it pretty serious."

Toronto has lost five of seven and failed to breakthrough in several recent games against top contenders. Overall, the Leafs have just one win in their last eight games against teams currently holding a playoff spot. 

"We're hungry," said Mitch Marner, who has 12 goals in the last 13 games. "We've been on a landslide the last couple games. We're not happy with how we’ve been playing and we got to change that tonight ... this is a massive game for us."

It's the second game of the season between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning won on Dec. 13, but the Leafs controlled much of the play that night. 

"We probably weren't as prepared for them as they were for us," admitted Tampa coach Jon Cooper, "and it was eye-opening to see how good the Leafs really were."

What did the Leafs do well that night? 

"I just thought we played quick," said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. "You got to play quick. They’re going play quick here tonight. It’s going to be two good teams and it's about execution. But if you can establish your game first and you can get on top of the other team, they have less room. If they get on top of you, you have less room and it just kind of snowballs on you."

"We didn’t feed their transition," recalled Kadri. "We got through the neutral zone and didn't turn the puck over. That's what makes this team so deadly is giving them that opportunity to go from playing defence to playing offence really quick through the neutral zone and pushing the pace that way. We’re not looking for any type of track meet."

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 The Leafs fired a season-high 49 shots on net in the loss last month in Tampa, but could only get one puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy​, who is 8-4-1 in his career against Toronto with a .925 save percentage. What will be required to beat him tonight? 

"Just mayhem in front," said Kadri. "We got to create chaos. You say that about most big goaltenders, but this kid is too good to allow shots he can see."

In the win over Toronto, the 6-foot-3 Vasilevskiy​ made a couple highlight-reel stops with his pads. 

"He’s a lengthy guy that can get across so when you get those second opportunities you got to make sure you’re trying to put them upstairs," Marner said.

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 At the morning skate, Babcock stuck with the same new-look combinations he unveiled at Wednesday's practice. That means Andreas Johnsson will slot in with John Tavares and Marner. What does the Swede bring to the group? 

"A lot of speed," said Marner. "He’s a guy who can handle the puck very well and make plays on his own. For us, when he gets it, try and give him space and let him work people one-on-one. That’s something that our line’s talked about is just when one guy gets it try and give him space so we can work people one-on-one. Us three can really work people one-on-one down low in the corners and if we come in too close we make it too complicated and too compact and that’s something we want to stay loose with."

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Victor Hedman raised some eyebrows after his team's morning skate when asked about the challenge in defending the dynamic duo of Marner and Tavares. 

"It's not the fancy play all the time," Hedman noted. "But, you can tell Marner has been, obviously, unbelievable. He's an unbelievable player and pretty underrated in my mind. So, he finds openings and open guys. He has great speed and has his head up the whole time."

That earned some smiles from the Toronto-based journalists and an obvious follow-up question. Can Marner, who leads the Leafs with 59 points in 45 games, really be all that underrated?

"Well, I mean there’s not a whole lot of talk about him and he’s not in the all-star game," Hedman insisted. "Nearest rivals, was mind-boggling. For me it’s just the way he plays the game and the way he is, I think he’s obviously one of their more important players."

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In a departure from recent game-day mornings, the Leafs held a full skate today in Tampa. Toronto is coming off one of its most lacklustre efforts of the season in a loss to Colorado on Monday. 

Lines at Maple Leafs morning skate: 

Johnsson-Tavares-Marner 
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Lindholm-Gauthier-Brown

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganov
Marincin-Holl

Andersen starts 
Sparks