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The Toronto Maple Leafs search for revenge after a 7-4 loss in Denver less than two weeks ago when they host the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow at 7 PM ET on TNT.
The setback to the Avalanche is part of a bumpy run for Toronto, which has lost 5-of-7 after winning 8-of-9. Valeri Nichushkin had a hat trick, while Nathan MacKinnon tallied two goals in the win as Colorado recovered from an early two-goal deficit. Mitch Marner and John Tavares each scored twice for the Maple Leafs.
Both teams are battling for playoff positioning in their respective divisions. Toronto is tied for second with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic, two points behind defending Stanley Cup champion Florida, and the Avalanche are two points behind the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central. Colorado is sporting the league’s fifth-best scoring offense, averaging 3.34 per game. The Maple Leafs aren’t far behind, in eighth at 3.21 per contest.
Toronto is looking to get back on track at home, where it has lost 3 of 4. The Avalanche are 8-0-1 in their last nine games, but that includes a long stretch at home. The team has lost 2 of 3 on the road.
Let’s break down each team’s recent play while previewing this matchup and our Avalanche @ Maple Leafs NHL pick.
The 2022 Stanley Cup champs are well on their way to an eighth straight playoff berth. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are again leading the way. MacKinnon, a seven-time All-Star and the 2023-24 Hart Trophy winner, leads the NHL with 76 assists and 103 points. He had an assist in Colorado’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Jonathan Drouin had a goal and an assist in that matchup, while Makar had two assists and scored the game-winning goal 34 seconds into overtime to give Colorado its ninth straight home win. The three-time All-Star is in the running for his second Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. His 78 points top all blueliners this season.
Parker Kelly scored twice, and Ross Colton had two assists in Colorado’s 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday. The Avalanche scored twice in the third and lead the league with 92 goals in that period.
The Maple Leafs are in line for their ninth straight Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance despite their recent struggles. With 83 points, they are right in the mix for the Atlantic Division title.
More importantly, the team got back on track at home, pounding the Calgary Flames last night, 6-2. Auston Matthews had two goals and an assist, William Nylander had a goal and two assists, Max Domi added a goal and an assist, and both Marner and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had two assists.
Marner leads the team and is seventh in the league with 82 points. His 61 assists have him tied for third in the NHL. Tavares and Domi scored in a 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday, while Matthews and Nylander scored in the team’s 4-2 setback to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Tomorrow night’s contest gives Toronto the chance to go 2-2 on this four-game homestand.
Nylander is second in the league with 38 goals. His 71 points are second in the team, followed by Matthews with 34 assists and 60 points and Tavares with 27 goals and 56 points.
The Avalanche are virtually unbeatable at home right now. Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, Colorado’s 18-14-1 road record is much more manageable. Both teams are in the thick of their respective conference’s playoff races with just a month left in the regular season.
MacKinnon is our best bet for tomorrow night’s contest. He’s had just one assist in his past three games and averages 1.12 assists per game this season. He’s due. Look for him to record at least one against Toronto.
Brian has been writing about sports professionally for 25 years, specializing in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, men's college basketball and football, and soccer. He covered high school, collegiate and professional sports in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area for two decades. His written work has appeared in several print and online publications since 1999.