BREAKING: Canucks top player returns and is ready for playoffs.
The Marlies picked up some size and skill this weekend for their final regular season games.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Chadwick was a sixth-round pick in Brad Treliving’s first draft and had 56 points in 66 games, adding one more point in four playoff games. He was also WHL Scholastic Player of the Year.
The Marlies beat Utica 5-1 on Saturday, but lost by the same score Sunday. Quillan, who had 46 points in 39 games with Quinnipiac, played in both matches. The Dartmouth, N.S., native shoots left and can play on the wing or at centre. The speed and physicality of the American Hockey League in a late-season playoff environment was quite a baptism.
With a record of 32-23-9-2, the Marlies are fourth in the Northern Division, needing to stay fifth or higher in the tight group to get a playoff spot. Joseph Blandisi had their only goal Sunday.
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Matthews’ charge for 70 meets Crosby, Penguins’ charge for playoffs on Monday.
Sidney Crosby took a minute off from carrying the Pittsburgh Penguins on his back to throw a compliment at Auston Matthews on Monday.
Six goals in the Maple Leafs’ last six games will get Matthews to the milestone, not reached in the National Hockey League since 1992-93, when Alex Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabres and Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets each scored 76 goals.
Matthews takes a 10-game point streak into the game between the Leafs and Penguins on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena. Matthews hasn’t had much success scoring goals against the Penguins in his career, recording just five in 17 games. Only against the Los Angeles Kings (four goals in 13 games) has Matthews scored fewer goals.
In the Leafs’ 7-0 win against the Penguins on Dec. 16 in Toronto, Matthews didn’t play, missing his only game of the season to date because he was sick.
The Leafs fully respect what Crosby has done in the past several weeks to help put the Penguins in the serious wildcard conversation in the Eastern Conference.
The Detroit Red Wings hold the second wildcard with 84 points, just one ahead of the Penguins, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, all tied with 83.
Since March 24, Crosby has 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) in eight games, sharing the NHL scoring lead in that span with Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers.
In those eight games, Pittsburgh is 6-0-2, the best record in the NHL.
“I don’t think it’s surprising,” Leafs captain John Tavares said of Crosby’s ability to seemingly will the Penguins into playoff contention. “You’re talking about the most accomplished player of this generation. Whether it’s individually or from a team standpoint, everything that he has been able to do, and has shown since Day 1 of his career, (is because of) the internal drive he has and how much he can influence a game and his teammates and his team.”
Ilya Samsonov is expected to start in goal for the Leafs. Alex Nedeljkovic will start for the Penguins.
As much as they acknowledge the Penguins’ rise and Crosby’s vital role in it, the Leafs’ main interest lies only in finishing the regular season in top form.
“We’re at a point where we have confidence in our group, but we also want to keep striving for more,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said.
Toronto will go for its seventh win in 10 games. A post-season spot has been clinched, but there is the importance of keeping the Tampa Bay Lightning, four points behind the Leafs in the Atlantic Division standings, in the rearview mirror.
Playing a team fighting for its playoff life should, in theory, bring out the best in the Leafs.
“It gets your attention,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “You know you’re going to be in for a game tonight. The challenge is going to be on us to match their urgency level and the competitiveness level. That’s going to be it, really, and that’s what we talked about this morning, is knowing that the other team is coming in here with a real purpose. Our purpose has to remain in playing a good sound game and doing it in a game that means a lot to the opposition. We have to pull that same meaning out of it.”
Meanwhile, Keefe said defenceman Joel Edmundson is “real close” to returning to the lineup. Edmundson, who has missed the past six games with an undisclosed injury, could return to game action by the end of the week.
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