Category: Uncategorized

RAPTORS-BUCKS: pregame notes

Injury Report: 01/27/21 01:30 PM

MIL@TOR Toronto Raptors Anunoby, OG Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Calf; Strain
McCaw, Patrick Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Surgery – rehabilitation
Siakam, Pascal Questionable Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Swelling.

RAPTOR NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors will host the Milwaukee Bucks at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Wednesday night. This is the first of three meetings between the Raptors and Bucks during the first half of the 2020-21 season. The two teams will meet again Feb. 16-18 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, which is also Toronto’s next mini-series.
• Toronto defeated Milwaukee 114-106 on August 10 at the NBA Restart in Orlando but have lost the season-series to Milwaukee the past two seasons. Overall the Raptors are 17-7 (.708) against the Bucks since 2013-14 and defeated Milwaukee twice in the playoffs – first round (2017) and the Eastern Conference Finals (2019).
• Toronto is tied for third in the Eastern Conference over the last 10 games (Jan. 8-25) with a 6-4 record. Boston (7-3) and Milwaukee (7-3) are the only teams ahead. Toronto played an equal five games at home and on the road
during this stretch, including two sets of back-to-backs and a pair of mini-series.
LAST 10 GAMES – EASTERN CONFERENCE
Team W-L FG% 3FG% REB AST PTS OPP FG% OPP 3FG% OPP PTS
Boston 7-3 .476 .389 46.3 23.6 114.9 .452 .370 109.3
Milwaukee 7-3 .492 .365 47.3 26.8 117.4 .454 .401 111.3
Toronto 6-4 .449 .400 43.4 25.8 112.7 .455 .356 107.8
Brooklyn 6-4 .499 .403 43.9 27.0 118.5 .476 .358 118.8
• Kyle Lowry needs two points to join DeMar DeRozan (13,296) and Chris Bosh (10,275) as the only players in franchise history to score 10,000 career points. Golden State’s Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Washington’s Bradley Beal and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only active players with 10,000 points with their current team. Lowry is Toronto’s all-time leader in three-pointer made (1,425), assists
(4,032) and steals (842).
• Norman Powell has scored 20+ points in three consecutive games (Jan. 22-25), including 24 points Jan. 25 at Indiana. Over the last three games, Powell is averaging a team-high 22.3 points, while shooting .455 (25-55) from
the field, .318 (7-22) from three-point range and .769 (10-13) at the free throw line. The last time Powell had a streak of three or more games with 20+ points was Feb. 28- Mar. 8, 2020 during career-high streak of five games.
• OG Anunoby has scored at least 10 points in a career-long nine consecutive games (Jan. 10-25). Anunoby scored a season-high 30 points during Toronto’s Jan. 24 win at Indiana and is averaging 16.8 points during this
stretch. He is also shooting .515 (53-103) from the field, .577 (30-52) from three-point range and .833 (15-18) at the free throw line.
• INJURY UPDATE: Pascal Siakam has missed two games (Jan. 24-25) with a swollen left knee. The injury occurred Jan. 22 vs. Miami, however, he remained in the game and finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Patrick McCaw has not played this season following surgery on his left during the summer. OG Anunoby is questionable with a left calf strain.

BUCK SHOTS

• The Bucks are beginning a three-game road trip tonight as they take on the Toronto Raptors in Tampa. After tonight’s game, Milwaukee will finish the road trip with a back-to-back against the Pelicans and Hornets on Friday and Saturday.
• The Bucks got back in the win column, and improved to 10-6 on the season, with a 129-115 win over the Hawks at Fiserv Forum on Sunday, which marked Milwaukee’s eighth win of the season by 10 or more points. The Bucks are currently second in the NBA in points per game differential this season at 9.1 ppg.
• In Sunday’s win, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and eight assists. Antetokounmpo also passed Bucks great Marques Johnson (10,980) for sixth on the Bucks all-time scoring list and became the sixth Buck to join the
11,000-point club (now at 11,007 career points).
• Bobby Portis scored a season-high 21 points (9-16 FG) against the Hawks on Sunday, marking his second 20-point game of the season and his 11th game scoring in double figures. Portis, who is averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season, is also shooting a career-high 54% from the field and a career-high 42% from three.
• Brook Lopez extended his season-long streak of scoring in double figures to four games after posting 12 points on Sunday vs. Atlanta. In this four-game stretch, Lopez is averaging 12.8 points per game (on 46% shooting) after averaging 9.2 points per game (on 42% shooting) in his first 12 games of the season.
• In Sunday’s win, the Bucks shot 54.9% as a team, marking their NBA-high eighth game of the season shooting 50% or better. Milwaukee enters tonight’s game not only leading the league in FG% at 49%, but also in scoring (120.1 ppg) and offensive rating (117.9

Murray fined $25,000

NEW YORK – Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been fined $25,000 for striking Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. in the groin area, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Murray received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected, occurred with 4:51 remaining in the third quarter of the Nuggets’ 117-113 victory over the Mavericks on Jan. 25 at American Airlines Center.

To view the incident, click on the following link: https://www.nba.com/watch/video/nuggets-vs-mavericks-1-25-21

Kelly McCrimmon gets different view of game with Golden Knights — Las Vegas Review-Journal

Kelly McCrimmon traded in his general manager’s hat for the Golden Knights and assumed head coaching duties in a 5-4 shootout loss to St. Louis on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.

Kelly McCrimmon gets different view of game with Golden Knights — Las Vegas Review-Journal

Leafs-Flames quotes

SHELDON KEEFE

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: You spoke this morning about how it’s not easy to beat a team twice in a row and it certainly wasn’t easy tonight. How did you see your team find a way?

Sheldon Keefe: Obviously, we were reeling there for quite a while, but the fact that our best people just got to work when things were all even again and went out there and found a way to get us another one, and then we were pretty good there right to the very end. Again, with the penalty kill, we made it even harder on ourselves, but it was a pretty gutsy win that way. We don’t like a lot of things about the game today in terms of how we let them back in it, of course. That just shows, again, where we need to continue to grow as a team. 

At the same time, that’s a good team over there. That’s two games they played us hard. They carried play for good chunks of time in both games. We knew they were going to push back. I wish we could have been a little better there, but to come out of it with another win here tonight is a really good sign for our team. In terms of the resiliency and not folding and not feeling sorry for ourselves when we give up the lead when they find their way back, all really good healthy signs for our team. There’s lots of things we’ll take away from here tonight that will help us get better from here.  

FREDERIK ANDERSEN 

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: A bit of a wild ride for the team and for you, in terms of the action you were seeing. Not much at first and then quite a lot of pucks near the end. From your perspective, how did the team pull this one out?

Frederik Andersen: Yeah, you said it pretty good. We scored some big goals at the right moments and then had some good kills at big moments as well so I think we can chalk that up to a few timely goals and  couple PKs. Pretty good first period, obviously. We didn’t really give them anything and got some goals so that was a good start.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: You’ve obviously been teammates with Mitch Marner for a while now, what’s your perspective and what’s standing out to you about the way he’s started this season?

Frederik Andersen: It’s good. He’s a skillful player. He sees the ice so well, and creates a lot of time and space out there. Great shot today so that was nice to see.

Q. Kevin McGran, Toronto Star: I wanted to ask you about Mitch’s shot. We all know how good of a shot Auston had all his career but Mitch has really seemed to have stepped up his game shot-wise. What have you seen of his progression as a shooter when you face him in practice?

Frederik Andersen: I think it’s underrated. I think he’s good at picking spots and being pretty elusive and tricky about where he’s going to go. That’s probably what he’s been really good at. I think he wants to be more than an incredible passer and playmaker. I know he wants to add to his game and I think he’s done that throughout the years I’ve played with him.

Q. Kevin McGran, Toronto Star: As a goalie, when you’re looking at guys who have good shots and are good playmakers, is it all the more tough to anticipate what they’re going to do with the puck?

Frederik Andersen: Yeah, of course. There’s more options so you’ve got to respect both the shot and the pass option so the better you can be at both, the more it’s going to help you.

Q. Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun: When you guys have a game like that where it’s kind of one story in the first and then another one in the second period, and you still manage to battle back and win, what do you think that says about the team and some growth that has been made in the last couple of years, or do you see it that way?

Frederik Andersen: Yeah, of course. It’s good character to battle these games out and get the two points. Obviously, we had a chance to take all four today in this little mini-series and we wanted to do that so it’s really nice to see the way we battled to the end and got away with the two points again tonight. Obviously, we don’t want to make it this hard every night but again, it’s a good character win.

TRAVIS BOYD 

Q. Chris Johnston, Sportsnet: I’m wondering since the camp ended, what was the priority for you to work on to stay sharp? What approach did you take into tonight’s game?

Travis Boyd: Coming out of camp was just trying to get up to speed. I think, just like everybody else, you only had a week of camp this year and I think it only ended up being six ice days or something like that. Just trying to get up to speed, get your conditioning going and, for me personally, also just trying to get used to the systems. My first year with the organization so just getting used to how they play and the structure that they want to play with every night. 

Q. Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun: That aside, and a nice by Muzzin and Engvall to get that going, but how difficult did you find it to get into the rhythm of the game and that sort of thing, or did you after watching the first seven?

Travis Boyd: I actually thought, myself personally and my line, I thought we were good from the start tonight. Really had some good O zone shifts in the first and even in the second before we ended up scoring. Once you start playing you’re right back into it.  Obviously, like I said, I felt a few times out there tonight I had maybe been a little out of position or whatever versus how the structure is that we want to play with here, but other than that I thought we were good tonight. I thought my line was really good, I thought we had some good O zone shifts and didn’t give up a whole lot. 

TJ BRODIE 

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: How did you get it done tonight?

TJ Brodie: We came out hard. I thought we played well in the first. We had some looks. We let it go in the second a little bit there and started chasing it but we found a way to hold on and get the two points.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: What’s your perspective on working alongside Frederik Andersen as a defenceman back there? What stands out the most to you about him?

TJ Brodie: He’s great. He’s always in position and I’ve been really impressed with the way he handles the puck. I haven’t had the chance to play against him too much, it’s definitely something that he does well.

Q: Luke Fox, Sportsnet: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about Mitch Marner that you didn’t know before coming to Toronto?

TJ Brodie: Just how great defensively he is. He’s always in the right spot, great stick and on the penalty kill, he’s real effective. Whether it’s up ice or in the zone, it’s something like I said not playing too much in Toronto through the years, it’s something that I didn’t really get to see or notice.

JUSTIN HOLL

Q. Chris Johnston, Sportsnet: From your perspective, after a strong first period, why was it difficult to maintain that as Calgary had a push back in the middle of the game?

Justin Holl: I thought they did a really good job of squeezing us in our defensive zone. They had four guys on one side while we were trying to breakout so I think we need to do a better job of finding the weak side D. That’s kind of our way out of it and we didn’t do a very good job of doing that. Then a little bit of panic set in where guys are throwing pucks and obviously I’m guilty as well. Some things we need to clean up but we’re just happy to get in here and get two wins in a row and onwards.

Q. James Mirtle, The Athletic: How do you feel your season has gone so far through eight games for you personally?

 

Justin Holl: I think it’s been good so far. The way I measure my game mostly, especially if I’m playing a lot of minutes like I have been, is if we win, really. Having a 6-2 record through eight games is positive for our team. I don’t think the games have been perfect, I don’t think we’re rolling yet, but that’s kind of how I measure success in terms of Muzz and I on the ice.  

MITCH MARNER 

Q: Mark Masters, TSN: Mitch, not easy to beat a good team back-to-back, especially on the road . Your perspective on how the team got it done tonight.

Mitch Marner: I think the first period we came out how we wanted to. Second period, obviously we sat back, gave them everything, game them all the opportunities, Freddie stood strong for us there. I think we gave up way too many shots, chances against. O-zone wasn’t there for us, controlling it wise puck.  Like I said, Freddie kept us strong in there. Then it came to us in the third, again we were sitting back a little too much. I think everyone got their feet under them, kind of calmed down the bench and did what we needed to do.

Q: Mark Masters, TSN: What did you see the on game-winning goal? An example of that kind of shot mentality you talked about wanting to establish?

Mitch Marner: I’ve really been working on that shot with Matts. I think if I can try to find that shot more, I know that Matts can find me there. We’ve been trying to work on that shot a lot. For me, it’s just trying to get it off my stick quickly and on to the net, for a chance on net, for a rebound or something for [Hyman] to go in, which it did. But again, I mean I’m trying to get more of a shot mentality in there, trying to be more of a threat. It was a great dish by Matty and that’s big goal.

Q: Kevin McGran, Toronto Star: About your shot, how much do you work on it like 12 months a year, all season and you seem to have really gotten better with it in the last year or two. What are you doing to get to another level with that shot?

Mitch Marner: I think obviously weight helps, put on a lot of weight since first and second year, got a lot stronger on my stick and everything like that, more flex. I guess less flex on my stick actually got higher up in that range. I mean I think just the last two years I’ve been trying to work on it. I feel like it’s a mentality thing. I feel like I really want to try and make an extra play most of the time but this year around, trying to be more of a threat. More of a guy that can be more a consistent shooter on net, kind of change things up on goalies and that’s what I did tonight. I had a couple of good opportunities in the second. I just missed the net on both which I’ve got to fix that opportunity but like I said, great play by Matty there, great dish by him and great space and for me, it’s just trying to put it in.

Maple Leafs-Flames postgame notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (6-2-0 – 12 Points) vs.

CALGARY FLAMES (3-1-1 – 5 Points)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021

 123OTFINAL
TORONTO211–4
CALGARY021–3

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY

ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Wayne Simmonds put the Maple Leafs on the board at 3:44 of the first period. Simmonds has goals (2) in two consecutive games. He has 16 points (8-8-16) in 27 career games against the Flames.
  • Auston Matthews scored the second Toronto goal of the night on the power play at 14:16 of the first period and later had the primary assist on Mitch Marner’s third period goal. Matthews has goals (2) and points (2-1-3) in two consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his second multi-point performance of the season. He has registered seven points (4-3-7) over his last five games played.
  • Travis Boyd scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the game at 2:09 of the second period. Boyd’s goal is his first goal as a Maple Leaf and his first point as a Maple Leaf. He had 10 points (3-7-10) in 24 games as a member of the Washington Capitals last season. Tonight’s game is his first game as a Maple Leaf.
  • Mitch Marner registered the primary assist on Matthews’ first period goal and later scored Toronto’s fourth goal of the night at 12:14 of the third period. Marner has assists (4) and points (2-4-6) in three consecutive games. Tonight’s game is his fifth multi-point game of the season. He is tied for the NHL lead in points with 12 (5-7-12) through eight games played.  He leads the NHL in even-strength goals (5). Toronto is 6-0-0 when Marner records a point this season.
  • Justin Holl recorded the primary assist on Simmonds’ first period goal. Holl has five assists in eight games played this season. The Maple Leafs are 3-1-0 when Holl records a point this season.
  • Jimmy Vesey collected the secondary assist on Simmonds’ first period goal. Vesey has two points (1-1-2) over his last three games played. Tonight’s assist is his first point on the road in 2020-21.
  • Morgan Rielly had the secondary assist on Matthews’ first period goal and later had the secondary assist on Marner’s third period goal. Rielly has assists (5) in two consecutive games. He has recorded five (0-5-5) of his six (1-5-6) points on the road this season.
  • Pierre Engvall recorded the primary assist on Boyd’s second period goal. Engvall’s assist is his first point of the 2020-21 season. In 48 games as a rookie in 2019-20, Engvall registered eight goals and seven assists.
  • Jake Muzzin picked up the secondary assist on Boyd’s second period goal. Muzzin has points (1-1-2) in two consecutive games. He has 19 points (3-16-19) in 33 career games against the Flames.
  • Frederik Andersen stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced to earn his fourth win of the season.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO10 (6)5 (5)6 (6)–21 (17)
CALGARY1 (1)18 (17)7 (5)–26 (23)
      

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO12 (8)16 (16)11 (10)–39 (34)
CALGARY9 (7)27 (26)17 (14)–53 (47)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Record on the Road3-1-0 (4 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Calgary  63-60-12-5 (140 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Calgary on the Road27-41-5-2 (75 Games)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots3 (Marner)
Shot Attempts6 (Marner)
Faceoff Wins11 (Matthews)
Faceoff Win Percentage100% (Engvall – 1 won, 0 lost)
Hits3 (Muzzin)
Blocked Shots3 (Anderson)
Takeaways1 (Eight players tied)
TOI23:53 (Muzzin)
Power Play TOI1:46 (Marner, Matthews)
Shorthanded TOI3:43 (Holl)
Shifts31 (Muzzin)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage53.3% (Simmonds – 8 for, 7 against)
  

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first3-1-0
Lead after 12-0-0
Lead after 25-0-0
Score 1 power play goal4-0-0
Allow 1 power play goal2-2-0
Outshot by opponent3-1-0
Tuesday1-0-0

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 3-for-4 on the penalty kill and 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.
  • Toronto has scored at least one power play goal in seven of the club’s eight games this season.
  • Joey Anderson skated in his first game as a Maple Leaf.
  • Zach Hyman and Jake Muzzin started 33.3% of their 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
  • Auston Matthews was 9-for-15 (60%) in the faceoff circle when matched up with Calgary centre Elias Lindholm.
  • Jake Muzzin was on the ice for a team-high 14 shot attempts at 5-on-5 tonight. Muzzin finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 40.0% (14 for, 21 against).

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Thursday, January 28, 10:00 p.m. at Edmonton Oilers (TSN4, TSN 1050)
  • Saturday, January 30, 7:00 p.m. at Edmonton Oilers (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
  • Thursday, February 4, 7:00 p.m. vs. Vancouver Canucks (TSN4, FAN 590)
  • Saturday, February 6, 7:00 p.m. vs. Vancouver Canucks (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)
  • Monday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. vs. Vancouver Canucks (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)

Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.

Maple Leafs-Flames pregame notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (5-2-0 – 10 Points) vs.

CALGARY FLAMES (2-1-1 – 5 Points)

JANUARY 26, 2021 ▪ 9:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME (CALGARY, AB) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus CALGARY

ALL-TIME RECORD:62-60-12-5 (139 Games)
ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD:26-41-5-2 (74 Games)
2020-21:1-0-0
LAST FIVE:2-2-1
LAST 10:6-3-1

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus CALGARY

GAMES PLAYED:Joe Thornton (66), Jake Muzzin (32), Jason Spezza (29)
GOALS:Joe Thornton (11), John Tavares (8), Wayne Simmonds (6), Jason Spezza (6)
ASSISTS:Joe Thornton (44), Jake Muzzin (15), John Tavares (11)
POINTS:Joe Thornton (55), John Tavares (19), Jake Muzzin (18)
PENALTY MINUTES:Jason Spezza (33), Joe Thornton (31), Wayne Simmonds (23)

MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES TEAM STATS

 TORONTOCALGARY
GOALS FOR (Rank):22 (t-2nd)13 (t-21st)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):       19 (t-20th)9 (5th)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):9/22 [40.9%] (3rd)7/20 [35.0%] (6th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):21/26 [80.8%] (t-13th)14/16 [87.5%] (7th)
SHOTS (Rank):222 (2nd)126 (28th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):308 (1st)161 (27th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):54.2% (5th)53.6% (t-7th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):57.3% (2nd)46.3% (24th)

MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES NOTES

First Matchup between Clubs:Nov. 5, 1972 (Toronto 2, Atlanta 2)
All-Time Record:62-60-12-5 (139 Games)
All-Time Record at Home:36-19-7-3 (65 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road:26-41-5-2 (74 Games)
Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road:January 24, 2021 (Toronto 3, Calgary 2)
  

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

CATEGORYLEADER
GOALS4 (Marner, Tavares)
ASSISTS6 (Marner)
POINTS10 (Marner)
POWER PLAY POINTS5 (Tavares)
SHORTHANDED POINTSN/A
PIMs17 (Simmonds)
SHOTS29 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%100% (Marner, Mikheyev)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %66.3% (Thornton)
BLOCKED SHOTS13 (Holl)
TAKEAWAYS6 (Nylander)
HITS15 (Hyman)
TOI PER GAME24:08 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME3:27 (Matthews)
SH TOI PER GAME3:45 (Holl)

MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES

Frederik Andersen– Ranks seventh among NHL goaltenders in saves made (123).- Has an 8-2-2 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 14 career games against Calgary.  – Earned his 139th win as a Maple Leaf on January 22 vs. Edmonton to move past Curtis Joseph for fourth on the Maple Leafs’ all-time goaltender win register.
TJ Brodie– Averaging 18:00 in even-strength ice time, which ranks second among Toronto defencemen.- Averages 2:34 per game in shorthanded ice time, which ranks third among Maple Leafs defencemen.- Ranks third among Maple Leafs in blocked shots (8).
Jack Campbell– Is 3-2-0 in five career appearances against the Flames with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
Justin Holl– Leads NHL defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (16:44) with a shot attempt percentage of 61.6%.- Averaging 21:30 per game in ice time after averaging 18:31 per game in 2019-20.- Tied for sixth among right-handed NHL defencemen in shorthanded ice time per game (3:45).
Zach Hyman–  Leads Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (3:00).- Has the highest on-ice goals for percentage (57.1%) among Toronto forwards.- One of nine forwards in the NHL to start average over 12:00 minutes per game (13:57) of shorthanded ice time and start fewer than 35% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (33.9%), while having a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage above 50% (51.9%).
Alex Kerfoot– Ranks sixth among Toronto forwards in points per 60 minutes of ice time (1.47).- Leads the Maple Leafs in penalties drawn (3).- Has won 66.7% (8 won, 4 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.
Mitch Marner– Tied for the lead among NHLers in points (4-6-10).- Tied for the NHL lead in even-strength goals (4).- Leads NHL forwards in time on ice per game (24:03).
Auston Matthews– Averaging 23:07 in time on ice per game, which ranks third among NHL forwards.- Ranks fourth among Maple Leafs in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (60.4%).- Ranks second in the NHL in shots on goal (29).- Has won the 12th-most faceoffs in the NHL (62).
Ilya Mikheyev– Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:14).- Has an average of 23.0 shot attempts per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which ranks second among NHLers who have played at least 15 minutes of shorthanded ice time.  
Jake Muzzin– Ranks 23rd among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (3:42).- Ranks 13th among NHL defencemen in shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time (15.57).- Has the 17th highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (59.3%) among NHL defencemen.
William Nylander– Has the third highest points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (1.93) among Toronto skaters.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 62.8%, which is the second-highest percentage among Maple Leafs forwards.- Has recorded six points against the Flames (two goals, four assists) in nine career games against Calgary.
Morgan Rielly– Tied for 23rd among NHLers who have appeared in multiple games in average time on ice (24:08).- Had his eighth career game with three-plus assists on January 24 at Calgary. Per NHL PR, only two defensemen in history have recorded more with the franchise: Borje Salming (29) and Tomas Kaberle (12).
John Tavares– Tied for 13th in the NHL in points (4-3-7).- Leads the NHL in power play goals (4).- Tied for fourth among NHLers in shots on goal (24).- Has the highest faceoff win percentage (64.1%) among NHLers who have taken at least 100 faceoffs (103).
  

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

Mitch MarnerAssists (3) and Points (1-3-4) in two consecutive games.
Jason SpezzaAssists (2) in two consecutive games.
  

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Zach BogosianFour points from 200 NHL points
  

RECENT MILESTONES

Adam BrooksFirst NHL goal (Jan. 22 vs. EDM)
Mitch Marner300th NHL point (Jan. 24 at CGY)
Wayne SimmondsFirst goal as a Maple Leaf (Jan. 24 at CGY)
First point as a Maple Leaf (Jan. 24 at CGY)
500th NHL point (Jan. 24 at CGY)
  

INJURY REPORT

Nick Robertson (Knee)On long term injured reserve.
Joe Thornton (Rib)On long term injured reserve.
 Man Games Lost: 7
  

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Jan. 24Added forward Travis Boyd to roster.
Jan. 23Placed forward Joe Thornton on long term injured reserve.
Jan. 21Placed forward Nick Robertson on long term injured reserve. Added forward Joey Anderson to the taxi squad.
Jan. 19Loaned forward Travis Boyd to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).

Decision to change starting lineup pays off in Warriors’ win over Timberwolves — Monterey Herald

Steve Kerr’s decision to change the starting lineup paid off as the Warriors got out to an early lead and led wire-to-wire in their 130-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at Chase Center. With the previous starting lineup featuring rookie James Wiseman at center struggling, Kerr swapped Wiseman for Kevon Looney in the…

Decision to change starting lineup pays off in Warriors’ win over Timberwolves — Monterey Herald

RAPTORS-PACERS PREGAME NOTES


• The Toronto Raptors play the second of consecutive games at Indiana on Monday night. OG Anunoby scored a season-high 30 points to help Toronto defeat the Pacers, 107-102, yesterday afternoon. The Raptors have now won four in a row against Indiana. Toronto will not face the Pacers again during the first half of season.
• The NBA has incorporated steps to reduce travel this year, including the use of a “series” model where a team will play twice in one market. The Raptors will play five “series” in the first half; they have already swept Charlotte and
split with Miami with both “series” being played at home in Tampa.
• The Raptors have won two straight and five of their last six games (Jan. 14-22) after starting the season 2-8. Since Jan. 14, the Raptors rank third in the NBA in points allowed (101.3) and second in opponent field goal percentage (.436). Toronto has held its opponent below 44 percent shooting four times in the last six contests. OG Anunoby and Norman Powell lead the team in scoring, averaging 18.8 and 17.0 points, respectively, during this stretch. The duo combined for 50 points in Sunday’s victory over the Pacers.
• Toronto’s Nick Nurse and Indiana’s Nate Bjorkgren faced each other as head coaches in the NBA for the first time Sunday. Bjorkgren was hired by the Pacers following two seasons as an assistant coach on Nurse’s staff and
was a part of Toronto’s first NBA championship in 2019. Bjorkgren also served as an assistant on Nurse’s staff with the Iowa Energy from 2007-11, where they won an NBA G League championship together in 2011.
• Following the 2011 NBA G League title, Nick Nurse became head coach for Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Nate Bjorkgren became head coach for the Dakota Wizards (which later became the Santa Cruz Warriors). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Nurse and Bjorkgren met head-to-head seven times in G League action between 2011-2013. Bjorkgren’s teams held a 3-2 edge in five regular-season games, however, Rio Grande Valley and Santa
Cruz met at the 2013 NBA G League Finals with Nurse’s squad prevailing 2-0.
• Former Indiana Hoosier OG Anunoby has scored at least 10 points in a career-high eight consecutive games (Jan. 10-24). Anunoby is averaging a team-high 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals during this stretch. He is
shooting .516 (49-95) from the field, including .571 (28-49) form beyond the arc, over the last eight contests.
• OG Anunoby recorded a season-high 30 points (9-16 FG, 4-6 3PT, 8-10 FT), eight rebounds and tied a season best with five steals Sunday afternoon at Indiana. Anunoby joined Kawhi Leonard as the only players in franchise
history with multiple games of at least 30 points, five rebounds and five steals. Anunoby tallied career highs of 32 points and seven steals, along with seven rebounds, Mar. 1, 2020 at Denver.
• Chris Boucher led the reserves with 12 points Sunday against the Pacers. Boucher has now led the bench in scoring in nine games, something he did 13 times in 62 contests in 2019-20. Boucher currently ranks fifth among
reserves in the NBA (min. 10 games off bench) averaging 14.6 points – behind Jordan Clarkson (17.4), Terrence Ross (15.2), Derrick Rose (14.8) and Shake Milton (14.6).
• Kyle Lowry needs 14 points to join DeMar DeRozan (13,296) and Chris Bosh (10,275) as the only players in franchise history to score 10,000 career points. Golden State’s Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Washington’s Bradley Beal and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only active players with 10,000 points with their current team. Lowry is Toronto’s all-time leader in three-pointer made (1,424), assists
(4,031) and steals (841).

.Kyle Lowry will play after missing two games with an infected toe. Pascal Siakam (left knee swelling) will not play for the second game in a row.

PACERS NOTES

• The Pacers will play on the second night of a back-to-back for the fourth time this season. Indiana is 2-1 this season in the second night.
• Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 23 points in the win over the Magic, and sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining to lift Indiana to the win. Brogdon has made the
game-winner in both of the Pacers’ overtime wins this season.
• Brogdon is Indiana’s leading scorer this season with 21.9 points per game, an improvement of 5.4 points per game off his previous career-high average he set last season (16.5). He also
leads the Pacers with 7.1 assists and is averaging a career-best 1.6 steals per game.
• After missing the previous two games with a right hand injury, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Turner has averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game and shot
65.4 percent (17-26) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-13) from 3-point range over the last two games.
Turner returned to the court Friday against Orlando and scored 22 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks in 43 minutes. He set a new season high with 25 points and recorded
three steals and six blocks Sunday against Toronto.
• Despite missing two games, Myles Turner leads the NBA this season with 59 blocked shots, a total of 16 more than the NBA’s second-ranked player (Utah’s Rudy Gobert, 43). Turner has
ranked in the NBA’s top four in blocks per game in each of the last four seasons.
• Domantas Sabonis has opened the season by recording 16 consecutive double-doubles. Sabonis’ streak is the longest of his career and the longest streak in NBA franchise history. With his
109th double-double as a member of the Pacers Wednesday against Dallas, he passed Roy Hibbert (108) into seventh place for the most double-doubles in franchise history.
• Sabonis is one of six players since the ABA-NBA merger to record a double-double in at least 15 straight games to open the season (Basketball-Reference). He joins Bill Walton (34, 1976-77),
Moses Malone (16, 1981-82), Kevin Love (15, 2011-12), Giannis Antetokounmpo (19, 2019-20) and Nikola Jokic (16, 2020-21) on that list. Joining Denver’s Nikola Jokic with 15 double-doubles
through 15 games this season, this is the first NBA season since 1967-68 that two players had 15 double-doubles in the first 15 games of a season in the same year when Nate Thurmond and
Wilt Chamberlain did so.
• Sabonis leads the NBA in minutes per game as he has averaged 38.3 minutes played. He logged a career-high 45 minutes in Friday’s overtime win over Orlando as he tallied 18 points, 11
rebounds, nine assists and a career-high five steals.
• After missing the first 13 games this season, and 29 straight regular season games after suffering a torn left ACL on Feb. 23 last season, Jeremy Lamb returned to the court Wednesday
against Dallas. He finished with 10 points off the bench, and made his first four shots from the floor. Lamb followed that by posting 22 points on 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free
throw line to go with seven rebounds in 28 minutes of Friday’s win over Orlando.
• Doug McDermott has scored in double figures in five straight games and 12 of his 16 outings overall this year. He has started each of the last four games and has averaged 16.3 points, 4.5
rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.8 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• McDermott made his first start of the season Sunday against the Clippers (and only his second start in his three seasons with the Pacers), and led all scorers with a season-high 23 points
on 9-for-12 shooting and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He made his first six shots from the field including his first three triples.
• After starting the season shooting 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range over the first four games, McDermott has shot 25-for-61 (42.6 percent) over the last 12.
• Justin Holiday has started the last seven games and has averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• T.J. McConnell missed three games from Jan. 9-12 due to personal reasons. Over the five games since his return, McConnell has recorded 33 assists and 12 steals and has only committed
six turnovers over 24.6 minutes per game. He finished with six points, three rebounds, six assists and three steals with only one turnvover in 31 minutes (the most he has logged in his two
seasons with the Pacers) in Friday’s win over Orlando.

Leafs 3, Flames 2: Quotes

SHELDON KEEFE

Opening Remarks: A good two points for us here today. I do think before I take any questions it’s important to acknowledge the passing of George Armstrong today. It was tough news for our organization and our fans and people that love the game. We actually took a moment today as a team – normally 90 minutes before a game we have a meeting. That’s where we cover a lot of our plans for the game and preparing for the opposition. 

Today we made it about George and shared a video of him and had a conversation about him and his impact on our organization. Leaf Nation is as strong as it is because of the efforts of people like George and, in particular, that era when they were winning the Stanley Cups. Generations of Leaf fans were bred through those efforts. We felt that it was important to acknowledge that. 

Condolences to the Armstrong family, his friends and people who loved him. For myself, I didn’t get a chance to see him play or anything like that, but, like I said, we feel the efforts of people like George and the efforts that they put forth in that era. We feel that every day here with the Leafs and are grateful for that. 

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: A couple of the guys said it was maybe a big of an ugly win. Jack Campbell also said it could be a character building win. What do you want the group to take from this game?

Sheldon Keefe: I think there’s no doubt that it was an ugly one. I think the reality is we looked at this game, it was our seventh game in 12 days, traveling out here and then having to play a two o’clock game. It’s a tough ask, and then you’re playing against a rested team. This one, we felt, would not be pretty. To get the two points is real big for us to have found a way to get those wins and found a way to bounce a few pucks our way into the net. It’s enough for us to get out of here with a win and now we’ll get a good night’s rest and have good practice tomorrow and regroup for the next time out.  

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: How would you describe the effort of Jack Campbell in net, especially near the end there? It appeared he might be dealing with something physically. What did he mean to you guys today?

Sheldon Keefe: He was huge. You don’t get through ugly games like this with a win without your goaltender being your best player. He was that today. He gave our guys great confidence, maybe too much confidence at times, but he was outstanding. It’s another great effort by him today.

Q. Jonas Siegel, The Athletic: I’m wondering what’s running through your mind when you see Jack struggle there at the end physically?

Sheldon Keefe: You’re hoping he’s alright. He got a little bit of attention there and obviously it happened late in the game so I think he’s feeling the effects of that a little bit, but he was able to shake it off and get through the remainder of the game. Luckily there was no other flurry around the net the rest of the way. 

Q. Jonas Siegel, The Athletic: How did you feel Auston looked in his first game back?

Sheldon Keefe: I thought he, like a lot of guys on our team, just weren’t themselves today. His situation probably even more difficult. I don’t know how many days its been since he’s really skated here. We just didn’t have legs today and it was real tough for all of our top guys to really get going tonight.

Q. Chris Johnston, Sportsnet: Was there anything about George Armstrong in particular you wanted the players to know or anything about his career or his life that you shared?

Sheldon Keefe: We went through that recapped his accomplishments and what he meant to the organization, his taking part in all those Stanley Cups and his abilities as a leader and as a captain. I think the message really, we talked about just how efforts like that back in the 1960s, in particular, the last time the Leafs won a Cup, that’s the reason why Leaf Nation is as strong as it is. That’s why generations of families grow up as Leaf fans, because of those efforts.

We have a role to play to continue to build upon that. That was part of it. Just celebrating his legacy. When you’re in this every single day, you’re in the moment, you’re taking care of what you can control every single day. I do think it’s important to stop and pause every now and again just to look at the bigger picture and recognize what we’re doing here every day is for a greater purpose beyond ourselves. We have a role to play within how we prepare and how we play, and people like George showed the way there.  

TJ BRODIE

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: What are you going to remember most about your first game back in Calgary?

TJ Brodie: I think it’s a hard one to forget with the situation and everything. Looking back when I do retire, it’s definitely something to tell the kids and grandkids about the masks and no fans and stuff. It was different, that’s for sure.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: It’s obviously so different with no fans, there would have been a standing ovation for you, I’m sure. What was that moment like when they did the video tribute in the first period? Your teammates and your old teammates were showing their appreciation.

TJ Brodie: It was special. I owe a lot to the people in Calgary, the teammates, everyone in the organization, the fans. I didn’t really know what to do there. I’ve never been on a different team and with no fans I didn’t know whether to wave or what to do. It was a little awkward.

Q. Kristen Shilton, TSN: What was your take on how the team played tonight, thinking about how you felt overall about the game defensively? 

TJ Brodie: I think there’s things to clean up, for sure. That’s not the way we wanted it to go, it was a little ugly at points. At the end of the day, those games are going to happen and those are the ones that count at the end of the year. Those messy ones that you end up with the two points at the end. 

JACK CAMPBELL

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: You seemed to be in a bit of pain at the end, how are you holding up physically after a gutsy effort?

Jack Campbell: I feel great. The boys played really well and it’s just huge to come out of this barn with two points.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: Was there any thought in your mind that you’d have to leave the game?

Jack Campbell: Never.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: How would you describe the challenge of going up against someone like Matthew Tkachuk? Obviously, he’s there to agitate and also has so much skill, he fell on top of you at the end there. How would you describe the challenge?

Jack Campbell: I don’t really look at him as a menace out there, he’s just a really good hockey player. Anytime he’s out there I’m always aware. He’s really good in front of the net and setting up his teammates. I think we did a great job as a unit shutting him down. We’re going to need that every night to keep getting these two points.

Q. Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun: Was there any worry there with what was happening in the final minute, health-wise?

Jack Campbell: I was just really focused on trying to get out of this place with two points. I think the guys did a good job of helping me out and we accomplished that. It’s all I’m focused on right now.

AUSTON MATTHEWS

Opening Remarks: First off, I just want to extend my condolences to the Armstrong family. Obviously, George was an incredible ambassador for the City of Toronto and the Maple Leafs. He paved the way for the guys like us who are trying to accomplish something big here. I just want to extend my condolences to his family.

Q. Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun: What was your take overall? You guys had the day of travel yesterday, the early start could have played a factor. The Flames hadn’t played in six days but you guys seemed to come out from the opening faceoff and do some good things and carry that through. Did you see it that way?

Auston Matthews: I don’t know. I mean, I think it was a pretty ugly game for us to be honest, for us. There’s a lot of things we could have done better. I think we had good sequences in the game. Obviously, a couple of solid lucky bounces that went our way today and we’ll definitely take them but definitely some stuff that we can clean up. Obviously, we can’t make excuses for travel and time change and that stuff. Coming in here we’ve got a job to do. We’ve got to use this time now, a day and a half until we play next, to rest and recover and get used to this schedule here.

Q. Terry Koshan, Toronto Sun: Is that a difference in the team then, that you can “win ugly” and some things might not go your way but you’re still able to pull out a victory?

Auston Matthews: Yeah, [Campbell] was a rock star for us tonight. He made some big saves, especially toward the end there. He was a brick wall for us. He definitely saved us there for sure. It always, I guess, encouraging to win ugly games like this where you just stay with it shift-by-shift and just try to get what we can done.

Q. Jonas Siegel, The Athletic: I was just wondering at practice the other day, what is it that you were feeling that you decided not to practice?

Auston Matthews: I just had some issues here with my hand that I was going through. I’m not really going to go any further than that but obviously if I could have skated or played and felt comfortable then I would have done that but it’s fine now and we’re good to move forward here.

Q. Jonas Siegel, The Athletic: Is it something you’ll have to keep your eye on moving forward?

Auston Matthews: A little bit. I’ll obviously have to take care of it here in the next couple of weeks but it feels a lot better. It feels more than good enough to play and good enough to go out there and contribute and help the team.

 WAYNE SIMMONDS

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: Wayne, that was a milestone moment for you — first as a Leaf, 100th on the power play, 500th point in your career. What did it mean to you?

Wayne Simmonds: It’s pretty big. It felt a lot better that we got the two points. Obviously, it’s nice to get it out of the way, but it’s even nicer to get the two points. Not too happy with our performance, we’ve got a few things we’ve got to fix, but a good two points to start off the road trip.

Q. Mark Masters, TSN: What’s your perspective on the power play that seems to be clicking very well to start this season? All the weapons that are there and your role on it.

Wayne Simmonds: We’ve got two great units. I don’t think it matters which unit is on the ice at this moment. Both units are clicking really well. For me it’s pretty much status quo, get in front of the net, get loose pucks, present myself as an option for the other guys. It’s been great so far and we’ll look to continue to improve. 

Maple Leafs 3, Flames 2 postgame notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (5-2-0 – 10 Points) vs.

CALGARY FLAMES (2-1-1 – 5 Points)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021

 123OTFINAL
TORONTO111–3
CALGARY011–2

GAME SUMMARY         |           EVENT SUMMARY        |           FACEOFF SUMMARY


ON THE SCORESHEET

  • Jake Muzzin opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs at 7:46 of the first period. Muzzin’s goal is his first of the season. He had six goals and 17 assists in 53 games for the Maple Leafs in 2019-20. He scored four of his six goals on the road last season.
  • Wayne Simmonds scored the second Toronto goal of the game on the power play at 19:28 of the second period. Simmonds’ goal is his first point as a Maple Leaf and 500th career NHL point. In 68 games between New Jersey and Buffalo last season he recorded eight goals and 17 assists.
  • Auston Matthews scored the third Maple Leafs goal of the night at 2:42 of the third period. Matthews’ goal is his first career goal against the Flames, giving him goals against all 31 NHL teams he has faced. He has five points (3-2-5) in his last five games played. He has three points (2-1-3) in three road games this season.
  • Mitch Marner registered the primary assist on Muzzin’s first period goal before adding the primary assist on Simmonds’ second period goal. Marner’s first assist was his 300th career NHL point. With 300 points in his first 307 games, Marner is the third fastest Maple Leaf to reach the milestone behind Syl Apps and Charlie Conacher, per NHL PR. Tonight’s game is his second multi-assist and fourth multi-point game of the season thus far. He has assists (3) and points (1-3-4) in two consecutive games. He leads the NHL in points (4-6-10) through seven games played.
  • Morgan Rielly had the secondary assist on Muzzin’s first period goal and later had the secondary assist on Simmonds’ second period goal before registering the primary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Rielly’s assists are his first three assists of the season. Tonight’s game is his first multi-assist and multi-point game of the season. He had three multi-assist and four multi-point games in 2019-20. Tonight’s game is Rielly’s eighth career game with three-plus assists. Per NHL PR, only two defensemen in history have recorded more with the franchise: Borje Salming (29) and Tomas Kaberle (12).
  • Zach Hyman picked up the secondary assist on Matthews’ third period goal. Hyman has two assists in his last three games. He has four points (1-3-4) in seven games played this season.
  • Jack Campbell stopped 31 shots to earn his second victory of the season.

SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO10 (10)14 (8)8 (8)–32 (26)
CALGARY9 (9)11 (8)13 (6)–33 (23)
      

SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets)

 1st2nd3rdOTTOTAL
TORONTO15 (15)18 (11)12 (10)–45 (36)
CALGARY21 (21)20 (13)22 (14)–63 (48)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Record on the Road2-1-0 (3 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Calgary  62-60-12-5 (139 Games)
All-Time Record vs. Calgary on the Road26-41-5-2 (74 Games)

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

Shots4 (Hyman, Muzzin)
Shot Attempts7 (Muzzin)
Faceoff Wins11 (Tavares)
Faceoff Win Percentage63% (Kerfoot – 5 won, 3 lost)
Hits3 (Muzzin)
Blocked Shots5 (Bogosian)
Takeaways2 (Kerfoot, Muzzin, Tavares)
TOI22:22 (Holl)
Power Play TOI3:21 (Tavares)
Shorthanded TOI2:55 (Muzzin)
Shifts30 (Muzzin)
5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage81.0% (Hyman – 17 for, 4 against)
  

RECORD WHEN…

Scoring first2-1-0
Lead after 11-0-0
Lead after 24-0-0
Score 1 power play goal3-0-0
Allow 1 power play goal1-2-0
Outshot by opponent2-1-0
Sunday1-0-0

OF NOTE…

  • The Maple Leafs went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and 1-for-3 on the power play tonight.
  • Toronto has scored at least one power play goal in six of the club’s seven games this season.
  • Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin were on the ice for a team-high 18 shot attempts at 5-on-5 tonight. Holl finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 56.3% (18 for, 14 against), while Muzzin finished the game with a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 53.0% (18 for, 16 against).
  • Auston Matthews was 4-for-5 (80%) in the faceoff circle when matched up with Calgary centre Mikael Backlund.
  • Ilya Mikheyev started 20% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone, which was the lowest mark among Toronto skaters.
  • John Tavares won 71% (5 won, 2 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.

UPCOMING GAMES:

  • Tuesday, January 26, 9:00 p.m. at Calgary Flames (Sportsnet Ontario, TSN 1050)
  • Thursday, January 28, 10:00 p.m. at Edmonton Oilers (TSN4, TSN 1050)
  • Saturday, January 30, 7:00 p.m. at Edmonton Oilers (Sportsnet, FAN 590)
  • Thursday, February 4, 7:00 p.m. vs. Vancouver Canucks (TSN4, FAN 590)
  • Saturday, February 6, 7:00 p.m. vs. Vancouver Canucks (Sportsnet, TSN 1050)

Stats reflect official NHL stats at the time of distribution. Please consult official NHL game sheets (links above) to confirm no statistical changes were made.

Maple Leafs – Flames pregame notes

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (4-2-0 – 8 Points) vs.

CALGARY FLAMES (2-0-1 – 5 Points)

JANUARY 24, 2021 ▪ 4:00 PM EST

SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME (CALGARY, AB) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: FAN 590

MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus CALGARY

ALL-TIME RECORD:61-60-12-5 (138 Games)
ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD:25-41-5-2 (73 Games)
2019-20:0-1-1
LAST FIVE:2-2-1
LAST 10:5-4-1

MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus CALGARY

GAMES PLAYED:Joe Thornton (66), Jake Muzzin (31), Wayne Simmonds (25)
GOALS:Joe Thornton (11), John Tavares (8), Wayne Simmonds (5)
ASSISTS:Joe Thornton (44), Jake Muzzin (15), John Tavares (11)
POINTS:Joe Thornton (55), John Tavares (19), Jake Muzzin (17)
PENALTY MINUTES:Joe Thornton (31), Wayne Simmonds (21), Jake Muzzin (14)

MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES TEAM STATS

 TORONTOCALGARY
GOALS FOR (Rank):19 (t-3rd)11 (t-22nd)
GOALS AGAINST (Rank):       17 (t-20th)6 (t-2nd)
POWER PLAY [%] (Rank):8/18 [44.4%] (2nd)6/16 [37.5%] (t-5th)
PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank):18/22 [81.8%] (15th)11/12 [91.7%] (4th)
SHOTS (Rank):190 (4th)93 (29th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank):272 (3rd)113 (t-28th)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank):56.2% (3rd)52.2% (11th)
FACEOFF % (Rank):58.2% (1st)45.7% (25th)

MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES NOTES

First Matchup between Clubs:Nov. 5, 1972 (Toronto 2, Atlanta 2)
All-Time Record:61-60-12-5 (138 Games)
All-Time Record at Home:36-19-7-3 (65 Games)
All-Time Record on the Road:25-41-5-2 (73 Games)
Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road:March 4, 2019 (Toronto 6, Calgary 2)
  

MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS

CATEGORYLEADER
GOALS4 (Marner, Tavares)
ASSISTS5 (Nylander)
POINTS8 (Marner)
POWER PLAY POINTS5 (Tavares)
SHORTHANDED POINTSN/A
PIMs15 (Simmonds)
SHOTS27 (Matthews)
FACEOFF WIN%100% (Marner, Mikheyev)
5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT %66.3% (Thornton, Vesey)
BLOCKED SHOTS12 (Holl)
TAKEAWAYS5 (Nylander)
HITS14 (Hyman)
TOI PER GAME24:27 (Rielly)
PP TOI PER GAME3:32 (Matthews)
SH TOI PER GAME3:54 (Holl)

MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES

Frederik Andersen– Ranks fourth among NHL goaltenders in saves made (123).- Has an 8-2-2 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 14 career games against Calgary.  – Earned his 139th win as a Maple Leaf on January 22 vs. Edmonton to move past Curtis Joseph for fourth on the Maple Leafs’ all-time goaltender win register.
TJ Brodie– Averaging 17:55 in even-strength ice time, which ranks second among Toronto defencemen.- Averages 2:40 per game in shorthanded ice time, which ranks third among Maple Leafs defencemen.- Ranks third among Maple Leafs in blocked shots (8).
Jack Campbell– Is 2-2-0 in five career appearances against the Flames with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage.
Justin Holl– Leads NHL defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (16:34) with a shot attempt percentage of 62.5%.- Averaging 21:15 per game in ice time after averaging 18:31 per game in 2019-20.- Ranks eighth among right-handed NHL defencemen in shorthanded ice time per game (3:54).
Zach Hyman–  Leads Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (3:00).- Has the highest on-ice goals for percentage (57.1%) among Toronto forwards.- One of nine forwards in the NHL to start average over 12:00 minutes per game (13:57) of shorthanded ice time and start fewer than 35% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (33.9%), while having a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage above 50% (51.9%).
Alex Kerfoot– Tied for fourth among Toronto forwards in points per 60 minutes of ice time (1.72).- Leads the Maple Leafs in penalties drawn (3).- Has won 63.6% (7 won, 4 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs.
Mitch Marner– Tied for second among NHLers in points (4-4-8).- Leads NHL forwards in time on ice per game (24:07).- Tied for sixth among NHL skaters in even-strength points (4-1-5). – Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 55.9%. 
Auston Matthews– Averaging 23:24 in time on ice per game, which ranks fourth among NHL forwards.- Ranks third among Maple Leafs in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (65.7%).- Ranks second in the NHL in shots on goal (27).- Has won the ninth-most faceoffs in the NHL (55).
Ilya Mikheyev– Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:20).- Has an average of 21.5 shot attempts per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which ranks sixth among NHL forwards who have played at least 10 minutes on the penalty kill.  
Jake Muzzin– Ranks 22nd among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (3:50).- Is 23rd among NHL defencemen in shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time (14.02).- Has the 16th highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (60.5%) among NHL defencemen.
William Nylander– Has the highest points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (2.25) among Toronto skaters.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 63.7%, which is the fourth-highest percentage among Maple Leafs forwards.- Has recorded six points against the Flames (two goals, four assists) in eight career games against Calgary.
Morgan Rielly– Ranks 17th among NHLers who have appeared in multiple games in average time on ice (24:27).- Has been on the ice for the eighth-most shot attempts for among NHL skaters (100).- Has the seventh highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (51.5%) among NHLers who average at least 19:00 (19:42) per game in 5-on-5 ice time.
John Tavares– Tied for eighth in the NHL in points (4-3-7).- Leads the NHL in power play goals (4).- Tied for third among NHL centres in shots on goal (22).- Has the third-highest faceoff win percentage (64.7%) among NHLers who have taken at least 75 faceoffs (85).
Jimmy Vesey– Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 75% when the Maple Leafs lead in games, which is the highest percentage on the team.
  

CURRENT POINT STREAKS

TJ BrodieAssists (2) in two consecutive games.
  

UPCOMING MILESTONES

Zach BogosianFour points from 200 NHL points
Mitch MarnerOne point from 300 NHL points
Wayne SimmondsOne point from 500 NHL points
  

RECENT MILESTONES

Adam BrooksFirst NHL goal (Jan. 22 vs. EDM)
Mikko LehtonenFirst NHL game (Jan. 18 vs. WPG)
  

INJURY REPORT

Auston Matthews (Upper Body)Did not play on Jan. 22 vs. EDM.
Nick Robertson (Knee)On long term injured reserve.
Joe Thornton (Rib)On long term injured reserve.
 Man Games Lost: 4
  

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Jan. 24Added forward Travis Boyd to roster.
Jan. 23Placed forward Joe Thornton on long term injured reserve.
Jan. 21Placed forward Nick Robertson on long term injured reserve. Added forward Joey Anderson to the taxi squad.
Jan. 19Loaned forward Travis Boyd to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Jan. 18Recalled defenceman Mikko Lehtonen from the club’s taxi squad. Added goaltender Michael Hutchinson to the club’s taxi squad. Goaltender Aaron Dell claimed off waivers by New Jersey.
Jan. 17Added forward Pierre Engvall to the club’s taxi squad.

RAPTORS-PACERS PREGAME NOTES

PACERS
• After losing consecutive games for only the second time this season, the Pacers bounced back to earn a 120-118 overtime win over the Orlando Magic Friday night. Indiana is now 2-0 this season in overtime contests.
• Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 23 points in the win over the Magic, and sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining to lift Indiana to the win. Brogdon has made the game-winner in both of the Pacers’ overtime wins this season.
• Brogdon is Indiana’s leading scorer this season with 22.5 points per game, an improvement of 6.0 points per game off his previous career-high average he set last season (16.5). He also leads the Pacers with 7.2 assists and is averaging a career-best 1.6 steals per game.
• After missing the previous two games with a right hand injury, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Turner returned to the court Friday against Orlando and tied his season high with 22 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks in 43 minutes.
• Despite missing two games, Myles Turner leads the NBA this season with 53 blocked shots, a total of 11 more than the NBA’s second-ranked player (Utah’s Rudy Gobert, 42). Turner has ranked in the NBA’s top four in blocks per game in each of the last four seasons.
• Domantas Sabonis has opened the season by recording 15 consecutive double-doubles. Sabonis’ streak is the longest of his career and the longest streak in NBA franchise history. With his 109th double-double as a member of the Pacers Wednesday against Dallas, he passed Roy Hibbert (108) into seventh place for the most double-doubles in franchise history.
• Sabonis is one of six players since the ABA-NBA merger to record a double-double in at least 15 straight games to open the season (Basketball-Reference). He joins Bill Walton (34, 1976-77), Moses Malone (16, 1981-82), Kevin Love (15, 2011-12), Giannis Antetokounmpo (19, 2019-20) and Nikola Jokic (15, 2020-21) on that list. Joining Denver’s Nikola Jokic with 15 double-doubles
through 15 games this season, this is the first NBA season since 1967-68 that two players had 15 double-doubles in the first 15 games of a season in the same year when Nate Thurmond and Wilt Chamberlain did so.
• Sabonis leads the NBA in minutes per game as he has averaged 38.2 minutes played. He logged a career-high 45 minutes in Friday’s overtime win over Orlando as he tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and a career-high five steals.
• After missing the first 13 games this season, and 29 straight regular season games after suffering a torn left ACL on Feb. 23 last season, Jeremy Lamb returned to the court Wednesday against Dallas. He finished with 10 points off the bench, and made his first four shots from the floor. Lamb followed that by posting 22 points on 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free
throw line to go with seven rebounds in 28 minutes of Friday’s win over Orlando.
• Doug McDermott has scored in double figures in four straight games and 11 of his 15 outings overall this year. He has started each of the last three games and has averaged 17.3 points, 5.0 reboundsa nd 3.0 assists while shooting 47.6 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• McDermott made his first start of the season Sunday against the Clippers (and only his second start in his three seasons with the Pacers), and led all scorers with a season-high 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He made his first six shots from the field including his first three triples.
• After starting the season shooting 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range over the first four games, McDermott has shot 25-for-58 (43.1 percent) over the last 11.
• Justin Holiday has started the last six games and has averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• T.J. McConnell missed three games from Jan. 9-12 due to personal reasons. Over the four games since his return, McConnell has recorded 26 assists and 10 steals and has only committed five turnovers over 24.8 minutes per game. He finished with six points, three rebounds, six assists and three steals with only one turnvover in 31 minutes (the most he has logged in his two
seasons with the Pacers) in Friday’s win over Orlando.
• After totaling just 17 points and six assists over the first five games in January, Aaron Holiday provided a burst off the bench in the win at Golden State, 1/12, with 16 points and 12 assists, his first double-double of the season. He tallied nine points and six assists in the fourth quarter. Holiday finished with 13 points in 26 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s loss to Dallas.