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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 (optional) and Senators (optional) skated at Scotiabank Arena ahead of Wednesday's game. 

Brady Tkachuk missed Ottawa's first game against the Leafs – a 5-3 win on Oct. 6 in Toronto – due to injury, so tonight will be his first taste of the Battle of Ontario. Considering his edgy style of play, teammates expect he'll thrive in the environment. 

"It's funny," said centre Matt Duchene, "because off the ice he couldn't be more different than he is on the ice. He's such a laid-back, like, just sweet kid. On the ice he's a competitor, he's a fighter. He gets into it with guys. He's always yapping. There'll be a couple scrums featuring No. 7 tonight, that's for sure."

Adding to the energy for Tkachuk tonight is the opportunity to share the ice with family friend Auston Matthews, who is tight with Brady's older brother Matthew, an old teammate with USA Hockey.  

"It's going to be pretty cool," said Brady. "Watching him the first couple of years in the NHL it's pretty surreal, it's pretty awesome to watch. He's already one of the best players in the world."

Matthews sent a text to Tkachuk welcoming him to the division after the Senators drafted him fourth overall back in June. They've exchanged messages a couple time since then, but nothing in the immediate lead-up to this game. 

The last-place Senators will need Tkachuk and everyone else to be locked in tonight if they want to have any chance of upsetting the Leafs. 

"They're Stanley Cup contenders for sure," observed coach Guy Boucher. "I don't think there's any flaws in their line-up anywhere, to be honest with you. I think what they've done lately in going to get [Jake] Muzzin is huge for them ... you kind of have to play a perfect game to beat them."

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Muzzin has electrified Scotiabank Arena with a coupe big hits on Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel and Anaheim's Corey Perry in the last two games. The last time he played the Senators, on Jan. 10 in Los Angeles, Muzzin levelled Colin White along the boards. The hit sidelined the Ottawa centre for three weeks. 

"Coming up in the West and playing in L.A., that's kind of what we were bred on," the defenceman said. "I learned from older guys on my team who were doing that. And that's kind of [what] we did to be successful. Things have changed a little bit. There's not as many big open-ice hits or stuff like that, but still trying to close guys and make a hit when you can is, I think, an important part of the game still."

The Leafs rank last in the Eastern Conference and 29th overall in hits this season, so Muzzin adds a new element to the back end that other teams must respect. 

"It's very difficult to do," partner Morgan Rielly noted. ​"It's a real skill. We're lucky to have it and it brings a new aspect to our game. ​The timing can be difficult, but he's been doing it long enough where he's really mastered it so it's a good asset to have."

And while the big hits make the highlights, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock is enjoying the subtle areas where Muzzin's size and strength are making an impact. 

"The physical element that he brings is his ability to deny the back of the net, to keep it on one side of the ice. He does a really good job of that," the coach noted. "His physicality is every shift. You're just not seeing it as much. It's also the ability to hang onto the puck a little bit longer, because you're not worried about getting hit, because the hit [doesn't do anything]. It's like a Ford 150 hitting a Volkswagen, it doesn't much matter." 

Muzzin, who stands 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, recently spoke with former Kings teammate and fellow big hitter Dion Phaneuf to get advice on how to close on guys and catch them with a bodycheck should he be asked to move to the right side in Toronto. Phaneuf, a lefty, often lines up on the right. 

Did the former Leafs captain have any words of wisdom about dealing with the hype in the centre of the hockey universe? 

"Well, he said it would settle down after a little bit, but," Muzzin said before smiling and pausing, "still waiting."

Muzzin will play the 500th game of his NHL career tonight. 

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Muzzin's big shot has helped breathe life into a stagnant Leafs power play, which had gone just 7 for 60 from Dec. 4 to Feb. 3. Muzzin's first goal with his new team came on the man advantage on Monday night courtesy a point blast. Toronto's top unit was taking notes from the bench. 

"We got to start doing that more," said Mitch Marner, "shooting from the top. As you saw there, Muzz did it a couple times up top and I think it frees up a little bit of space down low and for the guys going down the wall. So, I mean, we want Mo to shoot it. We know that he can score from up there. That's kind of been our thought recently, get more shots from Mo up top."

Rielly has scored 13 goals this season, but just one on the power play. 

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Projected Leafs lineup: 

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

Muzzin-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitsev 
Dermott-Hainsey 

Andersen starts
Sparks 

Projected Senators lineup:

Dzingel-Duchene-Ryan
Tkachuk-White-Stone
Smith-Pageau- Paajarvi
Balcers-Tierney-Rodewald

Chabot-Demelo
Lajoie-Ceci
Borowiecki-Harpur

Anderson starts
Nilsson