Maple Leafs Start Busy Weekend In Pittsburgh

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December 9, 2017 (2:56 PM)

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"Toronto Maple Leafs 37 pts (18-10-1)
@

Pittsburgh Penguins 35 pts (16-11-3)

7 p.m. ET

PPG Paints Arena � Pittsburgh, PA

TV: CBC (Hockey Night in Canada)

Radio: TSN 1050 AM

Season Series/Schedule

Date Game GWG

12/9 TOR @ PIT

2/17 TOR @ PIT

3/10 PIT @ TOR

Team Leaders

Maple Leafs Penguins

Auston Matthews, 28 Points Phil Kessel, 35

JVR/Kadri/Matthews, 13 Goals Phil Kessel, 14

Rielly/Nylander, 15 Assists Letang/Kessel, 21

The Toronto Maple Leafs will get their first look at the back-to-back Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. The Leafs went 2-1-0 versus the Penguins last season, but have just one victory in their last six visits to Pittsburgh.

Mike Babcock will stick with his usual forward combinations and defensive pairings. Frederik Andersen will make his NHL leading 26^th start of the season.

The Penguins will rely on Tristan Jarry between the pipes with Matt Murray on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old net minder has done well since being called into duty posting a .921 save percentage in his eight games this season.

While Sidney Crosby got off to a slow start offensively, former Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel has been great since the season began. He leads the Penguins in points, goals and assists and enters tonight's game with a goal in each of last three games.

The Maple Leafs should make an extra effort to stay out of the penalty box tonight. The Penguins have least one power play goal in seven of its last eight games and have at least one power play goal in six straight home games. Their penalty kill has killed off 24 of their last 26 penalties over the last seven games.

Probable Maple Leafs Lineup

FORWARDS

orward Lines

Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - Connor Brown

Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov

James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Mitch Marner

Matt Martin - Dominic Moore - William Nylander

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey

Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev

Andreas Borgman - Roman Polak

GOALTENDER

Frederik Andersen (16-8-1, 2.66 GAA, .922 save %, 3 SO)

INJURY REPORT

LW-Joffrey Lupul (sports hernia) out

Probable Penguins Lineup

FORWARDS

Conor Sheary - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust

Jake Guentzel - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel

Carl Hagelin - Riley Sheahan - Patric Hornqvist

Tom Kuhnhackl - Carter Rowney - Ryan Reaves

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS

Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang

Olli Maatta - Matt Hunwick

Ian Cole - Chad Ruhwedel

GOALTENDER

Tristan Jarry (5-1-2, 2.39 GAA, .921 save %, 1 SO)

INJURY REPORT

G-Matt Murray (lower-body) out. D-Justin Schultz (lower-body) out
"

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