Toronto: J. Ho-Sang (12) (M. Abramov, J. Kopacka), S. Der-Arguchintsev (11) (J. Ho-Sang) Goaltender: J. Woll (33/37) L
Cleveland:J. Christiansen (7) (R. Payne, K. Stenlund), R. Payne (4) (T. Schemitsch, T. Sikura), D. Simpson (4) (T. Angle, T. Sikura), R. Payne (5) (J. Christiansen, K. Stenlund) Goaltender:J. Greaves (25/27) W
ON THE SCORESHEET
Josh Ho-Sang opened the scoring at 2:26 of the first period and later added the lone assist on Der-Arguchintsev’s second period goal. He has 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 29 games this season.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev scored at 15:30 of the second period. He has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 41 games this season.
Mikhail Abramov recorded the primary assist on Ho-Sang’s first period goal. He has 22 points (4 goals, 18 assists) in 44 games this season.
Jack Kopacka registered the secondary assist on Ho-Sang’s first period goal. He has 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 36 games this season.
Joseph Woll stopped 33 of 37 shots he faced
OF NOTE
Toronto went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-3 on the power play. Toronto is 6-8-2-1 when not scoring on the power play and 12-8-1-0 when not allowing a goal on the penalty kill.
Cleveland had a 37-27 edge in shots in all situations. Joseph Duszak led the Marlies with seven shots on goal and set a career-high in a single game. Toronto is 15-12-2-1 when outshot by their opponents.
The Marlies are 14-11-2-1 against North Division opponents and 2-2-1-0 against the Monsters. Toronto has been outscored 21-15 through five games.
RECORD WHEN
Scoring first 18-3-1-1 Leading after 1 13-2-2-1 Leading after 2 18-2-2-1 On the road 12-9-2-1 March 0-2-0-0 Saturday 8-5-2-0
I would say it’s even longer then that in terms of inconsistent play. It appears to be fighting some positive energy, momentum. We’ve got to find a way to turn things around and find some of the pushback and the game play that we found about a month ago.
On Joseph Woll’s performance: He played really well for us. We needed to be way better in front of him. We were pretty fortunate for the score to be what it was going into the third period. We’ve got to value more of how we defend in front of our goalies. They’ve been playing well all year and there’s still too much work for them.
JOSEPH DUSZAK
On the team’s recent play: In February, we were sticking up for each other. Even in the last couple of games, we were sticking up for each other, being hard to play against. I feel teams now are just coming in and they see the Marlies on the schedule and they know it’s going to be an easy game because we’re just not working, we’re not competing. We just don’t have that mentality that we’re going to go out and kind of the (screw) you mentality and we just don’t have it.
UPCOMING GAMES: *All times Eastern Standard Time
March 6 at Cleveland – 12:00 p.m. March 8 vs. Providence – 3:00 p.m. March 9 vs. Abbotsford – 11:00 a.m. March 11 at Utica – 7:00 p.m. March 12 at Syracuse – 7:00 p.m.
2021-22 Matchups vs. Vancouver: Second of Two 2021-22 Record vs. Vancouver: 0-1-0 Toronto Season Record: 35-15-4 Toronto Home Record: 19-6-1
BROADCAST INFORMATION TV: Sportsnet RADIO: TSN 1050
RECENT TRANSACTIONS March 4, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled defenceman Mac Hollowell from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). February 25, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Nick Robertson from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). February 24, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Kyle Clifford from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
LAST GAME Score: Toronto 1 vs. Buffalo 5 Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2022 TOR Goals: Sandin BUF Goals: Bryson, Olofsson, Thompson, Skinner, Okposo TOR Goaltender: Mrazek, 26/31, .839 SV% BUF Goaltender: Anderson, 29/30, .967 SV% TOR Power Play: 0-for-1 TOR Penalty Kill: 1-for-2 Team Notes: – Mitch Marner skated in his 400th career NHL game.
With his assist recorded on Wednesday, Michael Bunting holds sole possession of second place among rookie scoring leaders with 42 points (19G, 23A).
NEXT GAME Date: Monday, March 7, 2022 Opponent: at Columbus Blue Jackets Time: 7:00 pm ET Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)
INJURY REPORT Ondrej Kaše Day-to-Day Jake Muzzin Concussion ALL-TIME VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS:
First Matchup between Clubs: October 11, 1970 (Toronto 3 at Vancouver 5) All-Time Record: 66-66-22-4 (158 Games) All-Time Record at Home: 40-25-11-1 (77 Games) All-Time Record on the Road: 26-41-11-3 (81 Games) Last Home Win vs. Opponent: May 1, 2021 (Toronto 5 vs. Vancouver 1) Record in Last Five Games: 2-2-1 Record in Last 10 Games: 5-4-1
ACTIVE LEADERS VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Games Played: TJ Brodie (46), Jake Muzzin (41), Kyle Clifford (39) Goals: Auston Matthews (15), John Tavares (13), Jason Spezza (9) Assists: John Tavares (17), Mitch Marner (15), Jason Spezza (14) Points: John Tavares (30), Jason Spezza (23), Auston Matthews (19) Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (61), Jake Muzzin (30), Wayne Simmonds (28)
THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22 Power Play: 42/145 (29.0%) Power Play Goal Leader: 12 – Matthews Power Play Point Leader: 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A) 2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)
ON THE PK IN 2021-22 Penalty Kill: 128/152 (84.2%) Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Kämpf, Marner, Mikheyev Shorthanded Point Leader: 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A) 2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%) FAST FACTS
Saturday games 17th of 23 (9 home, 14 road) Back-to-Backs played 8 of 13 Record in first game of back-to-back 4-3-1 Record in second game of back-to-back 3-4-1 March games 2nd of 14 (9 home, 5 road)
UPCOMING MILESTONES TJ Brodie Six points away from 300 career NHL points Mitch Marner Nine assists away from his 300th career NHL assist Wayne Simmonds One game away from 1,000 career NHL games played.
2021-22 MILESTONES TJ Brodie Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK TJ Brodie Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 14, 2021 at EDM Jack Campbell Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 16, 2021 vs. NSH Pierre Engvall Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK Ondrej Kaše Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10, 2021 at PHI Ondrej Kaše Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Alexander Kerfoot Appeared in his 300th career NHL game, Nov. 26, 2021 at SJS Alexander Kerfoot Recorded his 100th career NHL assist, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT Timothy Liljegren Scored his first career NHL goal, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL Auston Matthews Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Jan. 31, 2022 vs. NJD Auston Matthews Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, Oct. 25, 2021 at CAR Mitch Marner Skated in his 400th career NHL game, March 4, 2022 vs. BUF Mitch Marner Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Feb. 14, 2022 at SEA Ilya Mikheyev Skated in his 100th career NHL game, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL William Nylander Skated in his 400th career NHL game, Feb. 1, 2022 at NJD William Nylander Recorded his 300th career NHL point, Jan. 19, 2022 at NYR Morgan Rielly Recorded his 250th career NHL assist, Oct. 27, 2021 at CHI Morgan Rielly Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Wayne Simmonds Skated in his 950th career NHL game, Oct. 16, 2021 vs. OTT Jason Spezza Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28, 2021 at ANA John Tavares Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs, Oct. 18, 2021 vs. NYR John Tavares Scored his 100th goal with the Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2021 at BUF John Tavares Skated in his 900th career NHL game, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT HOW THE MAPLE LEAFS WERE BUILT
J2021-22 TEAM LEADERS CATEGORY LEADER CATEGORY LEADER GOALS 37 – Matthews HITS 93 – Simmonds ASSISTS 38 – Rielly BLOCKED SHOTS 74 – Brodie POINTS 68 – Matthews (37G, 31A) TAKEAWAYS 59 – Matthews POWER PLAY POINTS 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A) TOI PER GAME 24:10 – Rielly SHORTHANDED POINTS 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A) PP TOI PER GAME 2:57 – Marner PIMs 49 – Simmonds SH TOI PER GAME 2:41 – Muzzin SHOTS 224 – Matthews WINS 23 – Campbell FACEOFF% 61.3% – Tavares GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE 2.55 – Campbell SHOT ATTEMPTS% 58.72% – Matthews SAVE PERCENTAGE .917 – Campbell 0 10-4-2
CANUCKS AT MAPLE LEAFS PREVIEW TV: Sportsnet Radio: SN650 MATCH-UP INFO Tonight marks the second and final meeting between Vancouver and Toronto this season: Feb. 12 (3-2 W), Mar. 5 (away). Vancouver has a 70-63-22-3 all-time record against the Maple Leafs, including a 26-39-11-1 record on the road against Toronto. The Canucks are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games vs Toronto (3-2-0 in their last 5). Among active Canucks skaters, J.T. Miller leads the team in career scoring vs Toronto with 23 points (10-13-23) in 29 games. Thatcher Demko has faced the Maple Leafs six times (3-3-0) in his career, owning a .913 SV% and a 3.20 GAA. Jaroslav Halak has a record of 10-4-5 in 20 games vs Toronto, posting a .910 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. QUICK NUMBERS Elias Pettersson has 14 points (6-8-14) in his last 10 games. J.T. Miller has 17 points (6-11-17) in his last 10 games and is currently on an eight-game point streak. Brock Boeser has 12 points (5-7-12) in his last 14 games. Quinn Hughes has 11 points (2-9-11) in his last 10 games. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has seven points (1-6-7) in his last 10 games. Tanner Pearson has six points (4-2-6) in his last six games. Bo Horvat has eight points (4-4-8) in his last 10 games. LAST MEETING – FEB. 12/22: VAN 3 vs TOR 2 J.T. Miller opened the scoring with a goal at 1:29 in the first period…Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser recorded assists on the play…Boeser followed up with a power play goal at 6:00 in the first…Oliver Ekman-Larsson and J.T. Miller collected assists…Juho Lammikko scored the GWG in the second period, assisted by Alex Chiasson and Tyler Motte…Luke Schenn led the game in hits (7)…Bo Horvat led the team in shots (4)…J.T. Miller (1-1-2) led the team in TOI (25:59)…Thatcher Demko made a career high 51 saves tying a franchise record for most saves in a win (51), matching Richard Brodeur on Feb. 10/85 vs WPG. 2021.22 TEAM RANKS LAST GAME PLAYED – MAR. 3/22: VAN 4 at NYI 3 Brad Hunt notched his first goal of the season (unassisted) and first as a Canuck to even the score at 7:19 in the second period…J.T. Miller gave the Canucks their first lead of the game with his team-leading 21st goal of the season at 11:50 in the second…Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes assisted on the play…Nils Höglander pulled Vancouver even again at 9:34 in the third period, assisted by Conor Garland and Hughes…Vasily Podkolzin netted the GWG just 45 seconds later on a backhand pass from Bo Horvat…Luke Schenn led the team in hits (4)…Bo Horvat went 15-4 on face-offs…Thatcher Demko made 24 saves. LAST 5 vs TORONTO
Feb. 12/22: VAN 3 vs TOR 2
May 1/21: VAN 1 at TOR 5 Apr. 29/21: VAN 1 at TOR 4 Apr. 20/21: VAN 6 vs TOR 3 Apr. 18/21: VAN 3 vs TOR 2 (OT)
2021.22 TEAM RANKS VAN TOR Goals For/Game 2.77 (23rd) 3.63 (4th) Goals Against/Game 2.82 (t-11th) 2.89 (15th) Power Play % 20.6 (17th) 29.0 (1st) Penalty Kill % 70.4 (32nd) 84.2 (6th) Penalty Min./Game 8:28 (13th) 7:03 (2nd) RECENT TRANSACTIONS Tucker Poolman placed on LTIR, Feb. 26 Kyle Burroughs placed on IR, Feb. 26 Phillip Di Giuseppe recalled from Abbotsford, Feb. 25 STREAK-KING Extending his point streak to eight games (5-10-15) with a goal on Mar. 3 at NYI, J.T. Miller became the only player in the NHL to record three separate point streaks of 8+ games this season: Feb. 6-Mar. 3, 5-10-15, 8GP Dec. 6-Jan. 1, 3-10-13, 9GP Oct. 30-Nov. 14, 6-4-10, 8GP Miller is also the seventh player to have accomplished the feat in the last 10 years, joining Connor McDavid (x2), Leon Draisaitl (x2), Nikita Kucherov, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Johansen, and Evgeni Malkin. COMEBACK COMPLETE Clawing back from 1-0 and 3-2 deficits on Mar. 3 at NYI, the Canucks recorded their second regulation win on the season when coming back from multiple deficits. They also came back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to win 4-2 in regulation on Oct. 23 at SEA. HOMETOWN HUNT-ING With Maple Ridge-native Brad Hunt netting his first goal of the season on Mar. 3 at NYI, the Canucks have received goals from multiple Greater Vancouver-born defenders (Kyle Burroughs – Vancouver) in the same season for the first time in club history. PEARSON-AL BEST Collecting his 11th goal of the season and fourth in five games on Feb. 28 at NJD, Tanner Pearson established a career-high five-game point streak (4- 2-6). It also represented his 100th point as a Canuck (51-49-100) in his 190th game. SCORING IN BUNCHES The Canucks scored at least five goals for the third straight game during a 5-2 win at NYR on Feb. 27, accomplishing the feat for just the fifth time in the past 25 years. The other instances occurred from Oct. 22-30/19 (4 GP), Dec. 1-6/11 (3 GP), Oct. 14-18/05 (3 GP), and Feb. 6-25/98 (3 GP). PUTTING UP THE POINTS Recording three points (2-1-3) on Feb. 24 vs CGY, Elias Pettersson registered his fourth consecutive multipoint game for the first time in his career. In four games from Feb. 17-24, Pettersson collected 10 points (3-7-10). DIFFERENT FASHIONS Trouncing the Flames 7-1 on home ice on Feb. 24, Vancouver scored four different types of goals for the first time in franchise history: Power play (Pettersson, Miller, Horvat), shorthanded (Pettersson), penalty shot (Miller), even strength (Horvat, Garland). THREE CAN PLAY THAT GAME J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Bo Horvat each notched two goals on Feb. 24 vs CGY, marking the first time the Canucks had multiple goals from three or more players in a game since Oct. 29/11 vs WSH (Higgins, Lappiere, Edler). STREAK SNAPPERS Defeating Calgary by a score of 7-1 on Feb. 24, Vancouver became the first team in NHL history to beat an opponent on a 10+ game winning streak by six or more goals.
MOTTE SO FAST Tyler Motte (0:11) scored the fastest goal from the start of a game by any player this season on Feb. 21 vs SEA. It also equaled the fourth-fastest to begin a game in franchise history: Alex Burrows (Mar 16/13) :06, Trevor Linden (Jan 16/94) :09, Henrik Sedin (Oct 24/14) :10.
RECENT CANUCKS MILESTONES Brock Boeser – 300 GP, Feb. 24 vs CGY Travis Hamonic – 200 points, Feb. 21 vs SEA J.T. Miller – 400 points, Feb. 8 vs ARI Oliver Ekman-Larsson – 400 points, Feb. 8 vs ARI CURRENT INJURIES Jason Dickinson – 3 games Kyle Burroughs – 5 games Tucker Poolman – 13 games Brady Keeper – 56 games Brandon Sutter – 56 games Total man games lost (due to injuries or illness): 289 games
THE LAST TIME… The Canucks won when leading after 1P: Feb. 27/22 at NYR The Canucks lost when leading after 1P: Nov. 13/21 at VGK The Canucks lost in OT/SO when leading after 1P: Jan. 21/22 vs FLA The Canucks won when leading after 2P: Feb. 27/22 at NYR The Canucks lost when leading after 2P: Nov. 28/21 at BOS The Canucks lost in OT/SO when leading after 2P: Jan. 25/22 vs EDM The Canucks won when trailing after 1P: Feb. 21/22 vs SEA The Canucks lost when trailing after 1P: Feb. 28/22 at NJD
The Canucks lost in OT/SO when trailing after 1P: Nov. 9/21 vs ANA The Canucks won when trailing after 2P: Dec. 29/21 at ANA The Canucks lost when trailing after 2P: Feb. 28/22 at NJD The Canucks lost in OT/SO when trailing after 2P: Dec. 30/21 at LAK The Canucks won when tied after 1P: Mar. 3/22 at NYI The Canucks lost when tied after 1P: Feb. 1/22 at NSH The Canucks lost in OT/SO when tied after 1P: Jan. 29/22 at CGY The Canucks won when tied after 2P: Mar. 3/22 at NYI The Canucks lost when tied after 2P: Nov. 26/21 at CBJ The Canucks lost in OT/SO when tied after 2P: Jan. 29/22 at CGY PLAYER MILESTONE ENTERING 2021.22 NEEDS Travis Hamonic 700 GP 675 8 Elias Pettersson 200 Points 153 9
HIGHS Player Number Date Opponent Goals Miller 3 Jan. 27 at WPG Assists Hughes 4 Dec. 1 at OTT Points Miller (2x), Hughes 4 Latest Feb. 24 vs CGY (Miller) Shots Miller, Pearson 7 Latest Dec. 29 at ANA (Pearson) Blocked Shots Myers (2x), Schenn 7 Latest Feb. 19 vs ANA (Schenn) Hits Schenn 12 Jan. 31 at CHI Face-Off Wins Horvat 21 Nov. 9 vs ANA Penalty Minutes Myers, Chiasson 12 Latest Jan. 29 at CGY (Myers)
. 2021.22 SEASON HIGHS AND LOWS Most Goals Scored, Game: 7, Feb. 24 vs CGY Most Goals Scored, Period: 5, Feb. 24 vs CGY, 2nd period Most Goals Allowed, Game: 7 (4x), Latest Feb. 28 at NJD Most Goals Allowed, Period: 5, Feb. 9 vs NYI, 1st period Fewest Goals Scored, Game: 0 (2x), Latest Jan. 29 at CGY Fewest Goals Allowed, Game: 0, Dec. 6 vs LAK Most PPG Scored, Game: 3 (2x), Latest Feb. 24 vs CGY Most PPG Allowed, Game: 3, Nov. 17 vs COL Most SHG Scored, Game: 1 (3x), Latest Feb. 24 vs CGY Most SHG Allowed, Game: 1 (3x), Latest Jan. 11 at FLA Most Shots, Game: 46, Feb. 21 vs SEA Most Shots, Period: 23, Oct. 16 at DET, 3rd period Fewest Shots, Game: 15, Jan. 29 at CGY Fewest Shots, Period: 1, Jan. 29 at CGY, 1st period Most Shots Allowed, Game: 53, Feb. 12 vs TOR Most Shots Allowed, Period: 24, Feb. 12 vs TOR, 2nd period Fewest Shots Allowed, Game: 21 (5x), Latest Jan. 13 at TBL Fewest Shots Allowed, Period: 3 (2x), Latest Jan. 23 vs STL, 3rd period Most Hits, Game: 41, Oct. 28 vs PHI Fewest Hits, Game: 5, Oct. 16 at DET Most Blocked Shots, Game: 25 (2x), Latest Feb. 24 vs CGY Fewest Blocked Shots, Game: 8 (3x), Latest Jan. 23 vs STL Largest Margin of Victory: 6 goals, Feb. 24 vs CGY (7-1) Largest Margin of Defeat: 6 goals, Nov. 11 at COL (7-1) Longest Win Streak: 7 games, Dec. 6-29 Longest Point Streak: 9 games, Dec. 6-Jan. 1 Longest Winless Streak: 5 games, Nov. 9-17 Longest Pointless Streak: 4 games (2x), Latest Nov. 24-28
VANCOUVER’S 2021.22 RECORD WHEN… Score 4+ Goals: 18-2-0 Score 3 Goals or Less: 9-21-6 Scoring First: 19-5-2 Allow 4+ Goals: 2-15-0 Allow 3 Goals or Less: 25-8-6 Allowing First Goal: 9-17-4 On 0 Days Rest: 2-5-1 On 1 Day Rest: 17-11-3 On 2 Days Rest: 5-6-1 On 3+ Days Rest: 3-1-1 Score a PPG: 21-3-3 Give up a PPG: 11-18-3 25 or More Shots on Goal: 25-19-4 Less than 25 shots: 2-4-2 THREE STARS – MARCH Hughes – 5 pts Miller – 5 pts FEBRUARY WINNIER – MILLER (20) JANUARY WINNER – MARTIN (15) DECEMBER WINNER – DEMKO, MILLER (20) NOVEMBER WINNER – GARLAND (15) OCTOBER WINNER – DEMKO (15) *5 points are awarded for each Three Stars selectio
GAME #63 – TORONTO RAPTORS (34-28) vs. ORLANDO MAGIC (15-48) FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022 – 7:30 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA TV: TSN – RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
ORL@TOR INJURY REPORT AT 6:30 P.M.
Orlando Magic
Bol, Bol Out Injury/Illness – Right Foot; Surgery Carter Jr., Wendell Out Injury/Illness – N/a; Illness (non-Covid) Fultz, Markelle Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Injury management Isaac, Jonathan Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Injury recovery Wagner, Moritz Out Injury/Illness – Left Rib; Contusion
Toronto Raptors
Anunoby, OG Out Injury/Illness – Right Hand; Ring finger fracture Johnson, David Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Swelling VanVleet, Fred Out Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Soreness Wilson, D.J. Out Injury/Illness – Left Knee; Soreness Young, Thaddeus Available Injury/Illness – Illness; Non-COVID
The Toronto Raptors (34-28) finish a three-game homestand (Mar. 1-4), and a stretch of six games in eight days (Feb. 25 – Mar. 4), Friday night when they host the Orlando Magic (15-48) at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors are 2-3 since the All-Star break. Toronto begins a six-game road trip (Mar. 6-16) Sunday night when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors are 9-4 (.692) in the second game of a back-to-back set this season after going 3-13 (.188) last season. • Tonight marks the second of three meetings with the Magic this season. Scottie Barnes scored 21 points and Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. both added 19 as the Raptors held on to beat Orlando 110-109 in the first matchup. Toronto has won nine straight against the Magic and 14 of the last 16 meetings. • Scottie Barnes recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double Thursday against the Pistons. Barnes is averaging team highs of 22.3 points and 12.0 rebounds over the last three games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 3). He is the first Raptor rookie to post three consecutive double-doubles since Charlie Villanueva (Feb. 27 – Mar. 4, 2006). Barnes has now scored 20+ points in 13 games this season – the most by a Raptors rookie since Vince Carter scored 20+ in 23 games during the 1998-99 campaign. • Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 28 points Thursday vs. Detroit. He is currently averaging 21.2 points, and career bests of 8.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists, in 49 games. Siakam is one of just seven players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Dejounte Murray. No Raptor has averaged 20-8-5 over the course of an entire season. • Precious Achiuwa led the bench with 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds Thursday night against the Pistons. Since the All-Star break, Achiuwa is averaging 14.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and is shooting 50 percent from the field (27-54), including .429 (6-14) from three, in five games. He has led the reserves in scoring four times and scored 18+ points in three games during this stretch. • Gary Trent Jr. ranks second in the NBA in steals (1.89). Trent Jr. has recorded five steals in six games this season – only two Raptors have tallied more games with 5+ steals in a single season – Doug Christie (8) in 1996-97 and Alvin Robertson (7) in 1995-96. Trent Jr. has 10 steals in five games since the break. • All-Star Fred VanVleet has missed three straight games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 3) with right knee soreness. The Raptors are 5-5 without VanVleet in the lineup this season. VanVleet is averaging career highs of 21.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 52 games this season, and ranks third in the NBA in three-pointers made (208) – behind only Stephen Curry (265) and Buddy Hield (210) – despite missing 10 games. • Scottie Barnes was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for February after averaging 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 31.8 minutes in 12 games last month. Barnes is the 11th player in franchise history to earn the honour. PROBABLE STARTERS F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4
MIN: 35.3 REB: 7.6 AST: 3.2 STL: 1.1 TO: 2.0 BLK: 0.8 PTS: 14.9 • Recorded his third straight double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes Mar. 3 vs. Detroit. • Has grabbed a team-high 140 offensive rebounds this season, including 18 in the last three games. • Ranks in the top-five among rookies in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and minutes. F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43
MIN: 37.5 REB: 8.4 AST: 5.1 STL: 1.3 TO: 2.7 BLK: 0.7 PTS: 21.2 • Scored a game-high 28 points Mar. 3 vs. Detroit; added five rebounds and two assists in 43 minutes. • Leads the Raptors with a single-season career-best 19 double-doubles. • Toronto is 6-1 this season when Siakam scored 30+ points (Last: 35 points – Feb. 12 vs. Denver). C – KHEM BIRCH #24
MIN: 18.3 REB: 4.3 AST: 1.1 STL: 0.7 TO: 0.5 BLK: 0.5 PTS: 4.7 • Contributed two points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes of action Mar. 3 vs. Detroit. • Averaging 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and shooting .509 (29-57) from the field in 13 games as a starter. • Has scored in double figures four times this season (Last: 11 – Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn). G – GARY TRENT JR. #33
MIN: 34.8 REB: 2.6 AST: 2.1 STL: 1.9 TO: 1.0 BLK: 0.3 PTS: 18.2 • Finished with 14 points, four assists, two rebounds and two assists in 39 minutes Mar. 3 vs. Detroit. • Has scored 20+ points in 21-of-53 games this season, something he did 15 times in 58 contests last year. • Ranks second in the NBA in steals per game (1.89) and third in total deflections (188). G – MALACHI FLYNN #22
MIN: 11.3 REB: 1.4 AST: 1.4 STL: 0.4 TO: 0.3 BLK: 0.1 PTS: 3.9 • Tallied 11 points, three rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes Mar. 3 vs. Detroit. • Averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 34.0 minutes in four starts this season. • Has scored in double figures in three straight games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 3), averaging 14.7 points during this stretch. INJURY REPORT OG Anunoby (Right Hand; Ring Finger – Fracture) – Out David Johnson (Left Knee; Swelling) – Questionable Fred VanVleet (Right Knee; Soreness) – Out D.J. Wilson (Left Knee; Soreness) – Out Thaddeus Young (Illness; Non-COVID) – Questionable
2021-22 RECORDS W-L EAST WEST OVERALL 34-28 23-17 11-11 HOME 17-14 11-8 6-6 AWAY 17-14 12-9 5-5 OVERTIME 2-1 2-1 0-0
ORLANDO MAGIC
Position # Player Ht. Wt. Comments Forward 22 Franz Wagner 6-10 220 2021-22: 15.7 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 2.9 apg. Led (or tied) the team in scoring 14 times, in rebounding three times and in assists seven times…Scored in double figures a team-high 53 times, 20+ points 15 times and 30+ points once, including a career-high 38 points on Dec. 28 vs. Milwaukee…Had two double-doubles. Forward 34 Wendell Carter Jr. 6-10 220 2021-22: 14.3 ppg., 10.4 rpg., 2.7 apg. Led (or tied) the team in scoring six times, in rebounding a team-high 39 times and in assists seven times…Scored in double figures 42 times and 20+ points nine times, including a season-high 26 points on Nov. 26 vs. Chicago…Had team-high 28 double-doubles. Center 5 Mo Bamba 7-0 235 2021-22: 10.2 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 1.2 apg., 1.79 blkpg. Led (or tied) the team in scoring three times, in rebounding 17 times and in assists twice…Scored in double figures 29 times, 20+ points once and 30+ points once, including a career-high 32 points on Jan. 19 @ Philadelphia…Had 12 double-doubles. Guard 50 Cole Anthony 6-3 190 2021-22: 17.4 ppg., 5.8 apg., 5.7 rpg. Led (or tied) the team in scoring a team-high 20 times, in rebounding six times and in assists a team-high 31 times…Scored in double figures 42 times, 20+ points 19 times and 30+ points three times, including a season-high 33 points on Nov. 7 vs. Utah and Dec. 8 @ Sacramento…Had seven double-doubles. Guard 4 Jalen Suggs 6-5 205 2021-22: 12.5 ppg., 4.4 apg., 3.7 rpg., 1.26 stlpg. Led (or tied) the team in scoring six times and in assists 14 times…Scored in double figures 31 times and 20+ points four times, including a career-high 22 points on Jan. 21 vs. L.A. Lakers…Had two double-double
TONIGHT’S OPPONENT: Mar. 4 @ Toronto: Orlando is 39-54 all-time vs. Toronto (21-22 at home, 18-28 on the road, 0-1 at London, 0-1 at Disney, 0-2 at Tampa) during regular season action, including 0-1 this season (see recap below)…The Magic lost all three meetings with the Raptors last season…The Magic are 5-5 in postseason play against the Raptors (4-1 in 2008 First Round; 1-4 in 2019 First Round)…The Magic have lost nine consecutive regular season meetings with the Raptors (last win: Feb. 24, 2019, 113-98 @ Toronto) and 28 of the last 33 overall…Orlando has lost 12 of the last 15 meetings at home (including one at London) and 15 of the last 17 on the road (including two at Tampa in 2020-21)…Terrence Ross was originally selected in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by Toronto and spent his first four-plus NBA seasons (2012-17, 363 games) with the Raptors before being traded to Orlando on Feb. 14, 2017…Twoway player Ignas Brazdeikis grew up in Canada, living in Winnipeg and Etobicoke before settling in Oakville, Ontario…President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman spent four seasons (2013-17) with Toronto, including his final season as General Manager in 2016- 17…Assistant GM Anthony Parker played in 235 games (226 starts) during three seasons with Toronto from 2006-09…Assistant Coach Jesse Mermuys spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Raptors from 2013-15 and head coach of their G League affiliate, Raptors 905, in 2015-16…For all-time results vs. Toronto, see p. 328 of the media guide…Oct. 29 @ Toronto – Raptors 110, Magic 109: Scottie Barnes led five Raptors in double figures with 21 points, as Toronto edged Orlando, 110-109, at Scotiabank Arena. Fred VanVleet scored 16 of his 19 points during the fourth quarter for the Raptors, while Gary Trent Jr. also had 19 points. Cole Anthony led the Magic and all scorers with 24 points, while Jalen Suggs scored 21 points. Wendell Carter Jr. tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Mo Bamba recorded 14 points, a career-high-tying 18 rebounds and three blocked shots. Toronto shot 50 percent from the floor and committed only eight turnovers. The Raptors led 110-98 with 2:04 left in the contest, but Orlando would not quit, closing the game with an 11-0 run and had a chance to win the game on the final possession. However, the ball was deflected out of Anthony’s hands and he was forced to attempt the winner from midcourt, which was off the mark. BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. RAPTORS: 39 pts., Dwight Howard (@ Toronto, 1-4-09) BEST ALL-TIME SCORING PERFORMANCE VS. MAGIC: 54 pts., Fred VanVleet (@ Orlando, 2-2-21)
RISING STARS… Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, guard Jalen Suggs and forward Franz Wagner all participated in the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars, which was played on Friday, Feb. 18 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland as part of NBA All-Star 2022…Orlando was one of three teams to have three players named to the event (Detroit, Houston)…Anthony and Suggs played on Team Worthy, led by James Worthy, while Wagner played on Team Barry, guided by Rick Barry…Suggs scored 16 points, while Anthony had four, as Team Worthy fell in a heartbreaker to Team Isiah, 50-49…In the other semifinal, Wagner, scored three points during a 50-48 win over Team Payton…Then in the championship game, Wagner again scored three points, including the game-winning free throw, as Team Barry defeated Team Isiah, 25-20. UP, UP AND AWAY… Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony participated in the NBA AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland during State Farm All-Star Saturday Night…This marked the 11th time a player represented the Orlando Magic during the Slam Dunk contest…Past participants include: Aaron Gordon (2016, 2017, 2020), Victor Oladipo (2015), Dwight Howard (2007, 2008, 2009), Darrell Armstrong (1996), Nick Anderson (1992) and Otis Smith (1991)…Current Magic guard Terrence Ross won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2013 as a member of the Toronto Raptors…Anthony did not make it to the final round of the contest. TRADING PLACES… At the NBA Trade Deadline on Feb. 10, the Orlando Magic acquired Bol Bol, P.J. Dozier, a future second round draft pick and cash considerations from Boston in exchange for a protected second round draft pick…Orlando also used TPE to complete the deal…In addition, the Magic waived Michael Carter-Williams, Dozier and E’Twaun Moore. HOMELAND… Orlando is 7-22 this season at the Amway Center…The Magic were 11-25 last season at home…Orlando has gone 205-248 (.453) at the Amway Center since it opened in 2010-11…The Magic closed Amway Arena after 2009-10 with an all-time record of 535-309 (.634) in that building. ON THE ROAD AGAIN… Orlando is 8-26 this season on the road…The Magic were 10-26 last season away from home. MAGIC TRICKS – TAKING A BITE OF THE BIG APPLE On Oct. 24, Orlando defeated the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 110-104…Then on Nov. 17, the Magic beat the Knicks on the road again, 104-98…It marks the first time that Orlando has recorded multiple victories at Madison Square Garden during the same season since the 2017-18 campaign (Dec. 3, 2017, 105-100 win; Apr. 3, 2018, 97-73 win)…Then on Dec. 18, the Magic defeated Brooklyn at Barclays Center, 100-93. OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR… The Orlando Magic are averaging 104.0 ppg. (6,551 points), scored 100+ points 41 times (15-26 record) and 110+ points 23 times (10- 13 record), including a season-high 130 points on Dec. 8 @ Sacramento…Last season, Orlando averaged 104.0 ppg. (7,488 points)…The Magic scored 100+ points 43 times (20-23 record), 110+ points 23 times (14-9 record) and 120+ points seven times (6-1 record), including a season-high 130 points on Dec. 26 @ Washington. Orlando is shooting .435 (2,408-5,535) from the floor and shot 50 percent-or-better five times (5-0 record), including a season-high .543 (44-81) on Dec. 1 vs. Denver…Last season, the Magic shot .429 (2,754-6,423)…The Magic shot 50 percent-or-better six times (6-0 record), including a season-high .519 (42-81) on Feb. 5 vs. Chicago. MAGIC TRICKS – STAY ON TARGET Since the 2008-09 campaign, Orlando is 162-42 (.794) when shooting 50 percent-or-better from the field. THREE’S COMPANY… The Orlando Magic have made at least one three-point field goal in 1,192 consecutive games, dating all the way back to Mar. 17, 2007 (last game without a three-pointer: Mar. 14, 2007 vs. Utah, 0-for-9)…It stands as the fifth-longest active streak in the NBA and fifth-longest streak in NBA history…The Phoenix Suns have connected on at least one three-pointer in 1,429 games dating back from Mar. 29, 2004, the longest streak in NBA history…The last time an NBA team did not make a three-pointer was Feb. 5, 2016, when Miami went 0-for-9 @ Charlotte. Orlando is shooting .330 (751-2,275) from three-point range and made 10+ three-pointers 49 times (14-35 record), including a season-high 19 three-pointers on Nov. 20 @ Milwaukee and Feb. 8 @ Portland…Last season, Orlando shot .343 (784-2,288) and made 10+ three-pointers 50 times (16-34 record), including a season-high 21 three-pointers on Mar. 19 vs. Brooklyn. MAGIC TRICKS – FROM WAY DOWNTOWN From Oct. 27-Nov. 1, the Orlando Magic made 15+ three-pointers in four consecutive games, marking the first time they have accomplished this in franchise history…The Magic made 15 on Oct. 27 vs. Charlotte, 16 on Oct. 29 @ Toronto, 16 on Oct. 30 @ Detroit and 17 on Nov. 1 @ Minnesota…The only time Orlando had made 15+ three-pointers in three straight games was Jan. 22-25, 2021 (17 on Jan. 22 @ Indiana, 17 on Jan. 24 vs. Charlotte and 19 on Jan. 25 vs. Charlotte).
Abbotsford: S. Rempal (21) PP (N. Petan, N. Juulsen), D. Klimovich (6) (Unassisted), B. Hickey (1) (S. Rempal, J. Stevens), S. Rempal (22) (J. Stevens), S. Dries (29) PP (N. Petan, A. Kannok Leipert), N. Petan (12) PP (S. Dries) Goaltender: M. DiPietro (25/29) W
Toronto:M. Hollowell (5) (C. Douglas, J. Duszak), J. Duszak (5) (Unassisted), B. McMann (12) (M. Hollowell), C. Douglas (5) (R. Clune, B. Menell) Goaltender:E. Källgren (20/26) L, J. Woll (10/10)
ON THE SCORESHEET
Mac Hollowell opened the scoring at 5:40 of the first period and later added the lone assist on McMann’s third period goal. He has 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists) in 29 games this season.
Joseph Duszak scored unassisted at 9:13 of the second period and earlierhad the secondary assist on Hollowell’s first period goal. He has points (3-8-11) in his last nine games. This matches the longest point streak set by a defenceman set by T.J. Brennan in 2015-16.
Bobby McMann scored 49 seconds into the third period. He has points (1-1-2) in consecutive games. McMann has 19 points (12 goals, 7 assists) in 35 games this season.
Curtis Douglas scored at 16:03 of the third period and earlierrecorded the primary assist on Hollowell’s first period goal. He has 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) in 41 games this season.
Rich Clune recorded the primary assist on Douglas’ third period goal. He has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 33 games this season.
Brennan Menell registered the secondary assist on Douglas’ third period goal. He has assists (2) in consecutive games.
Erik Källgren stopped 20 of 26 shots he faced 43:39 of action. Joseph Woll stopped all 10 shots he faced in relief of Källgren.
OF NOTE
Toronto went 4-for-7 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play. Toronto is 6-7-2-1 when not scoring on the power play and 12-9-2-1 when allowing a goal on the penalty kill.
Abbotsford had a 36-29 edge in shots in all situations. Joseph Duszak, Filip Král and Kristiāns Rubīns led the Marlies with four shots on goal. Toronto is 15-11-2-1 when outshot by their opponents.
The Marlies are 0-1-0-0 against Pacific Division opponents and 0-1-0-0 against the Canucks. This is the only team Toronto plays from the Pacific Division. This is Toronto’s first game against Abbotsford in franchise history. Abbotsford was relocated from Utica following 2020-21 season.
RECORD WHEN
Scoring first 18-2-1-1 Trailing after 1 6-13-1-0 Trailing after 2 2-13-1-0 At home 12-8-2-1 March 0-1-0-0 Wednesday 4-5-0-1
Just the wear and tear we’re putting our penalty kill through with how many penalties we’re taking in the last couple of games. Penalty kill has been strong all year but if we just keep taking minor infractions and keep putting ourselves in the position where the same guys have got to burn energy in that area of the game, we just put ourselves in a tough spot.
BOBBY McMANN (1 GOAL)
On facing a new opponent:
We felt them out a little bit too much and you never want to do that in this league. You know every team is going to come to play and every team is going to be ready, and we show when we have our good starts, that’s when we win hockey games. So unfortunately, we didn’t do that.
UPCOMING GAMES: *All times Eastern Standard Time
March 5 at Cleveland – 7:00 p.m. March 6 at Cleveland – 12:00 p.m. March 8 vs. Providence – 3:00 p.m. March 9 vs. Abbotsford – 11:00 a.m. March 11 at Utica – 7:00 p.m.
GAME #62 – TORONTO RAPTORS (34-27) vs. DETROIT PISTONS (15-47) THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2022 – 7:30 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA TV: TSN – RADIO: TSN 1050 TORONT
• The Toronto Raptors (34-27) continue a three-game homestand (Mar. 1-4) Thursday night when they host the Detroit Pistons (15-47) at Scotiabank Arena. Tonight marks the third and final meeting between these two teams this season, with Detroit winning the first two. Toronto is currently in the middle of a stretch that will see the team play six games in eight days (Feb. 25 – Mar. 4) for the first time since March 10-17, 2012. • The Raptors recorded their second consecutive victory defeating the Brooklyn Nets 109-108 on Tuesday night. Trailing by eight points (89-81) entering the final frame, Tuesday marked Toronto’s largest fourth quarter comeback of the season. Gary Trent Jr. scored a game-high 24 points, including 12 in the fourth. Trent Jr. went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final frame, and becomes the first Raptor since Kawhi Leonard (8-8 FT, Dec. 30, 2018 vs. Chicago) to shoot perfect from the free throw line in the fourth quarter with a minimum of eight attempts. Trent Jr. also matched a career best with seven assists. • Scottie Barnes finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn. Barnes has now recorded consecutive double-doubles (Feb. 28 – Mar. 1) for the first time in his career, and has posted seven total this season, the most by a Raptors rookie since Jonas Valanciunas had eight during the 2012-13 campaign. In four games since the All-star break, Barnes is averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and shooting .720 (36-50) from the field. • Toronto outrebounded Brooklyn 48-37, including 16-to-7 on the offensive glass, in Tuesday’s victory. The Raptors currently rank second in the NBA in offensive rebounds (13.1). Scottie Barnes leads the Raptors and all rookies – with 134 offensive boards this season. Barnes ranks fourth all-time among Raptors rookies in offensive rebounds – behind Chris Bosh (191), Charlie Villanueva (181), and Ed Davis (168). • Pascal Siakam is currently averaging 21.1 points, and career bests of 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists, in 48 games. Siakam is one of just seven players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Dejounte Murray. No Raptor has averaged 20-8-5 over the course of an entire season. • Fred VanVleet (200) and Gary Trent Jr. (179) currently rank second and fifth respectively, in the NBA in deflections. VanVleet has led the league in deflections in each of the last two seasons, while Trent Jr. ranks second in the NBA in steals (1.88). Trent Jr. has recorded 5+ steals in six games this season, only two Raptors have tallied more games with 5+ steals in a single season – Doug Christie (8) in 1996-97 and Alvin Robertson (7) in 1995-96. Toronto leads the NBA in deflections (17.9) and ranks third in steals (9.2). • Thaddeus Young has scored in double-digits in three straight games (Feb. 26 – Mar. 1), averaging 10.7 points in 20.0 minutes off the bench. Young was acquired from San Antonio at the trade deadline. PROBABLE STARTERS F – SCOTTIE BARNES #4 • Finished with 18 points, a team-high 10 rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn. • Leads all rookies in minutes (35.2), ranks third in rebounds (7.5), fourth in points (14.8), and fifth in assists (3.3). • Tied with Charlie Villanueva (2005-06) for fourth all-time among Raptors rookies with 12 games of 20+ points. F – PASCAL SIAKAM #43 • Recorded 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes Tuesday against the Nets. • Averaged 21.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and shot .498 (102-205) from the field during 12 games in February. • Leads the Raptors with a career-best 19 double-doubles this season. C – KHEM BIRCH #24 • Contributed 11 points, five rebounds and one block in 18 minutes Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn. • Averaging 5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and shooting .538 (28-52) from the field in 12 games as a starter. • Has scored in double figures four times this season (Last: 11 – Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn). G – GARY TRENT JR. #33 • Scored a team-high 24 points, and matched a career-best with seven assists Tuesday night against the Nets. • Has scored 20+ points in 21-of-52 games this season, something he did 15 times in 58 contests last year. • Ranks second in the NBA in steals per game (1.88) and fifth in total deflections (179). G – MALACHI FLYNN #22 • Tallied 15 points, a season-best eight assists, and six rebounds in a season-high 43 minutes Mar. 1 vs. Brooklyn. • Has dished out 5+ assists in three of the last four games (Feb. 25 – Mar. 1), totalling 18 assists. • Averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 36.2 minutes in three starts. INJURY REPORT OG Anunoby (Right Ring Finger; Fracture) – Out Fred VanVleet (Right Knee; Soreness) – Questionable D.J. Wilson (Left Knee; Soreness) – Out Thaddeus Young (Illness; Non-COVID) – Questionable
FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 109, BROOKLYN NETS 108
DATE: TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2022
FINAL SCORE
RECORD
HIGH POINTS
HIGH REBOUNDS
HIGH ASSISTS
Brooklyn
108
32-31
Johnson – 19
Aldridge – 9
Curry – 6
Toronto
109
34-27
Trent Jr. – 24
Barnes – 10
Flynn – 8
KEY RUN
Trailing by six points at the 5:25 mark in the fourth quarter, the Raptors went on a 13-2 run to take a five-point lead, their largest of the second half (103-98) with 1:50 remaining in the frame … Toronto led for the rest of the game.
KEY STAT
Toronto overcame an eight-point deficit (89-81) in the final frame, marking the Raptors’ largest fourth quarter comeback this season … Gary Trent Jr. led all scorers with 12 points in the fourth quarter and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
RAPTORS NOTES:
With the win, Toronto improves to 34-27 this season and 17-13 at home … The Raptors are now 9-4 on the second half of a back-to-back set … Toronto will continue a three-game homestand (Mar. 1-4) Thursday night against Detroit.
Gary Trent Jr. scored a team-high 24 points and matched a career best with seven assists … Trent Jr. has scored 20+ points in 21 of 52 games this season, something he did 15 times in 58 contests last year … He has also dished out 5+ assists in consecutive games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 1) for the first time in his career.
Scottie Barnes recorded 18 points (8-13 FG, 2-2 FT), a team-high 10 rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes … Barnes has now tallied seven double-doubles this season – the most by a Raptors rookie since Jonas Valanciunas (8) during the 2012-13 season … In four games since the All-star break, Barnes is averaging 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and shooting .720 (36-50) from the field.
Malachi Flynn made his second consecutive start (Feb. 28 – Mar. 1) and tallied 15 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in a season-high 43 minutes … Tonight marks the first time this season, and fifth in Flynn’s career, that he has recorded 15+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists.
NETS NOTES:
With the loss, Brooklyn falls to 32-31, including 19-14 on the road … The Nets drop to 2-9 on the second half of a back-to-back … Brooklyn will return home to play the Miami Heat Thursday night.
Seth Curry recorded 18 points and a team-high six assists in 37 minutes … Curry is averaging 17.9 points, 4.0 assists and shooting .490 (47-96) from the field in seven games since being traded to Brooklyn.
James Johnson tallied a season-high 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-3 FT) and added three assists and two rebounds in 31 minutes … Johnson has scored in double-figures 10 times this season, most recently Feb. 16 at New York.
Brooklyn’s reserves outscored Toronto’s 38-to-23, led by Cam Thomas (11) and Goran Dragic (10).
2021-22 Matchups vs. Washington: First of Three Toronto Season Record: 34-14-4 Toronto Road Record: 15-9-3 TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590
RECENT TRANSACTIONS February 25, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Nick Robertson from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). February 24, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Kyle Clifford from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
LAST GAME Score: Toronto 10 at Detroit 7 Date: Saturday, February 26, 2022 TOR Goals: Nylander, Bunting, Kämpf, Marner (4x), Matthews, Mikheyev, Kaše DET Goals: Raymond (2x), Gagner, Hronek, Rowney, Veleno, Rasmussen TOR Goaltender: Campbell, 20/25 .800 SV% – Mrazek, 6/8, .750 SV% DET Goaltender: Nedeljkovic, 19/25, .760 SV%, Greiss, 10/14, .714 SV% TOR Power Play: – TOR Penalty Kill: 3-for-3 Team Notes:
Mitch Marner posted his first career NHL hat trick and added another goal for a single-game NHL career-high of four goals. Marner also recorded a single-game NHL career-high with six points (4G, 2A).
Michael Bunting posted a single-game NHL career-high in assists with four. Bunting also posted a single-game NHL career-high in points with five (1G, 4A).
Auston Matthews posted a single-game NHL career-high four points during Thursday’s game (1G, 3A). He has recorded a four-point game on 10 occasions during his NHL career. With his 37th goal of the season, Matthews leads the league in goals.
Ondrej Kaše posted the second shorthanded goal of his NHL career. With Kaše’s shorthanded goal, the Maple Leafs are tied for second in the league among shorthanded goal leaders only trailing the Vegas Golden Knights (9). The Maple Leafs are also the only team in the NHL to have not allowed a shorthanded goal against.
With three assists on Thursday, Justin Holl posted a single-game NHL career-high in both assists and points.
With his ninth goal of the season posted on Thursday, Ilya Mikheyev recorded an NHL career season-high in goals.
With his eighth goal of the season posted on Thursday, David Kämpf tied an NHL career season-high in goals. NEXT GAME
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Opponent: vs. Buffalo Sabres Time: 7:30 pm ET Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)
INJURY REPORT Jake Muzzin Concussion
ALL-TIME VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS: First Matchup between Clubs: October 27, 1974 (Toronto 4 at Washington 3) All-Time Record: 63-71-10-5 (149 Games) All-Time Record at Home: 38-27-6-2 (73 Games) All-Time Record on the Road: 25-44-4-3 (76 Games) Last Road Win vs. Opponent: October 13, 2018 (Toronto 4 at Washington 2) Record in Last Five Games: 2-2-1 Record in Last 10 Games: 3-5-2
ACTIVE LEADERS VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Games Played: Jason Spezza (41), Wayne Simmonds (38), John Tavares (38) Goals: John Tavares (17), Jason Spezza (14), Wayne Simmonds (11) Assists: Jason Spezza (24), John Tavares (16), Wayne Simmonds (11), Morgan Rielly (11) Points: Jason Spezza (38), John Tavares (33), Wayne Simmonds (22) Penalty Minutes: Wayne Simmonds (40), Kyle Clifford (20), Jason Spezza (16)
THE MAN ADVANTAGE IN 2021-22 Power Play: 42/140 (30.0%) Power Play Goal Leader: 12 – Matthews Power Play Point Leader: 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A) 2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)
ON THE PK IN 2021-22 Penalty Kill: 125/147 (85.0%) Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Kämpf, Marner, Mikheyev Shorthanded Point Leader: 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A) 2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%) FAST FACTS
Monday games 8th of 10 (3 home, 7 road) Back-to-Backs played 8 of 13 Record in first game of back-to-back 4-3-1 Record in second game of back-to-back 3-4-1 February games 12th of 12 (4 home, 8 road)
UPCOMING MILESTONES TJ Brodie Six points away from 300 career NHL points Mitch Marner Two games away from 400 career NHL games played Jake Muzzin Nine points away from 300 career NHL points
2021-22 MILESTONES Wayne Simmonds Three games away from 1,000 career NHL games played TJ Brodie Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK TJ Brodie Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 14, 2021 at EDM Jack Campbell Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 16, 2021 vs. NSH Pierre Engvall Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK Ondrej Kaše Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10, 2021 at PHI Ondrej Kaše Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Alexander Kerfoot Appeared in his 300th career NHL game, Nov. 26, 2021 at SJS Alexander Kerfoot Recorded his 100th career NHL assist, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT Timothy Liljegren Scored his first career NHL goal, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL Auston Matthews Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Jan. 31, 2022 vs. NJD Auston Matthews Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, Oct. 25, 2021 at CAR Mitch Marner Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Feb. 14, 2022 at SEA Ilya Mikheyev Skated in his 100th career NHL game, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL William Nylander Skated in his 400th career NHL game, Feb. 1, 2022 at NJD William Nylander Recorded his 300th career NHL point, Jan. 19, 2022 at NYR Morgan Rielly Recorded his 250th career NHL assist, Oct. 27, 2021 at CHI Morgan Rielly Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Wayne Simmonds Skated in his 950th career NHL game, Oct. 16, 2021 vs. OTT Jason Spezza Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28, 2021 at ANA John Tavares Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs, Oct. 18, 2021 vs. NYR John Tavares Scored his 100th goal with the Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2021 at BUF John Tavares Skated in his 900th career NHL game, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT
2021-22 TEAM LEADERS
CATEGORY LEADER CATEGORY LEADER GOALS 37 – Matthews HITS 87 – Simmonds ASSISTS 37 – Rielly BLOCKED SHOTS 71 – Brodie POINTS 68 – Matthews (37G, 31A) TAKEAWAYS 59 – Matthews POWER PLAY POINTS 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A) TOI PER GAME 24:13 – Rielly SHORTHANDED POINTS 4 – Kämpf (2G, 2A) PP TOI PER GAME 2:58 – Marner PIMs 47 – Simmonds SH TOI PER GAME 2:41 – Muzzin SHOTS 221 – Matthews WINS 23 – Campbell FACEOFF% 61.5% – Tavares GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE 2.55 – Campbell SHOT ATTEMPTS% 60.00% – Robertson SAVE PERCENTAGE .917 – Campbell
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
LAST GAME Washington 1, Philadelphia 2 February 26, 2022 Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA Shots: WSH: 28; PHI: 22 Power Plays: WSH: 1/3; PHI: 0/2 Three Stars: 1. Atkinson (PHI), 2. Giroux (PHI), 3. Oshie (WSH) RECENT TRANSACTIONS Re-assigned Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley to AHL Hershey, 2/27 Re-assigned Brett Leason to AHL Hershey, 2/24 CAPITALS MILESTONES WITHIN REACH Alex Ovechkin – Three game-winning goals shy of passing Gordie Howe (121) for the second most in NHL history, five goals shy of passing Jaromir Jagr (766g) for the third most goals in NHL history, one game shy of passing Sergei Fedorov (1,248) for third among Russian players Nicklas Backstrom – Five points shy of 1,000 career points, two assists shy of passing Bernie Nicholis (734a) for the 47th most assists in NHL history Ovechkin and Backstrom – Four games shy of playing 1,000 career games together Justin Schultz – One assist shy of 200 career assists Carl Hagelin – Four points shy of 300 career points Conor Sheary – Five points shy of 200 career points, two assists shy of 100 career assists, three goals shy of 100 career goals CAPITALS MILESTONES RECENTLY ACHIEVED Nicklas Backstrom – Passed Rod Brind’Amour (732) for the 48th most assists in NHL history, 2/26 at PHI CURRENT INJURIES/ILLNESSES Anthony Mantha: 11/6-2/26 (44 games) Vitek Vanecek: 12/29-1/8, 2/2-2/26 (13 games) Justin Schultz: 11/26-11/30, 2/17, 2/26 (5 games) Man Games Lost: 203 (For a full season injury report, please check the Supplemental Stats package available in Caps Today) UPCOMING SCHEDULE March 3, 7 p.m. (ET) vs. Carolina (ESPN+, Hulu, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7) March 5, 7 p.m. (ET) vs. Seattle (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7) March 8, 9 p.m. (ET) at Calgary (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7) March 9, 8 p.m. (ET) at Edmonton (TNT, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7) March 11, 10 p.m. (ET) at Vancouver (NBCSW+, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7) Tonight’s Game The Capitals face the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena for the first time this season. This marks the first time the Capitals have played the Maple Leafs since Oct. 29, 2019, a 4-3 overtime win at Scotiabank Arena. Washington has won three straight games against Toronto, a streak that began on Feb. 21, 2019, and each of the last three games have been one-goal games. Among active players in the NHL, Alex Ovechkin ranks first in goals (41g) and points (73) against the Maple Leafs, despite never playing in the same division as Toronto. Ovechkin’s 0.82 goals per game rate against the Maple Leafs is the highest rate he has against any Eastern Conference team. Washington Capitals: Media Notes HOME vs. TORONTO Record Goals For Goals Against Current Streak 47-23-4-2 272 207 1 WSH win (10/16/19) IN THE ZONE Evgeny Kuznetsov – Two game point streak (2a), two game assist streak (2a) John Carlson – Points in five of his last seven games (1g, 5a) Carl Hagelin – Seven points (1g, 6a) in his last nine games CAPS AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS (through games played Feb. 26)
Alex Ovechkin is tied for eighth in the NHL in points (63) and fourth in goals (32)
John Carlson is tied for ninth among defensemen in points (40) NOTE OF THE NIGHT Osh Babe
T.J. Oshie returned to the lineup on Feb. 24 against the New York Rangers after missing the previous 14 games due to injury and has a goal in his last two games.
With Oshie in the lineup this season, the Capitals are 12-4-4 this season, good for a .800 points percentage, which equates to 131-points over an 82- game season. Additionally, the Capitals hold a record of 6-2-2 when Oshie records a point.
With 14 points (6g, 8a) in 20 games, Oshie is averaging 0.70 points per game. Should he maintain that pace, it will mark the fourth consecutive season with Washington Oshie has recorded a points per game rate of 0.70 or higher.
Oshie is scoring at a 24-goal pace over an 82-game season.
Oshie has additionally scored on 18.2% of the shots he’s taken this season (six goals on 33 shots). Over the last four seasons, Oshie ranks third in the NHL in shooting percentage (19.0%) among players with 150 games played, only behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (20.1%) and Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point (19.1%). TOP CAPS FACTS Celebrating Black History
The Capitals will celebrate Black History Night Monday night when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena. The evening will honor the organization’s history, celebrate Black achievement in hockey and highlight how the Capitals are working to further grow the game in the region.
Capitals alumnus Bill Riley and his granddaughter Kryshanda Green will participate in a ceremonial puck drop. Riley made his NHL debut with the Capitals in 1974, becoming the first Black Nova Scotian to play in the NHL and the third Black player to play in the League. In 125 games with the Capitals, Riley recorded 28 goals and 28 assists.
Green is the former and first Black captain of the Ryerson University Rams women’s hockey team. While at Ryerson, Green broke the all-time points and assists records, graduating from Ryerson with a B.A. in politics and governance and currently serves on the NHL’s Youth Hockey Inclusion Council.
During warmups, Capitals players will wear special black warmup jerseys with a Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club shoulder patch in honor of the Fort Dupont Cannons. The jerseys will be signed and auctioned off along with signed pucks commemorating Black History Month and other items to benefit the Capital Impact Fund.
Additionally, during the game, players will wear special helmet decals featuring Neal Henderson’s likeness in honor of his contributions to hockey. In 2019, Henderson became the first Black individual to be inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame. Great 8
Alex Ovechkin ranks fourth in the NHL with 32 goals this season and tied for eighth in points (63).
Ovechkin’s most recent goal on Feb. 24 against the New York Rangers pulled him within four goals of matching Jaromir Jagr (766g) for third place on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
With his game on Saturday against the Flyers, Ovechkin passed Sergei Fedorov (1,248) for the third-most games played by a Russian player in NHL history. Next on the list is Sergei Gonchar with 1,301 games played.
The Capitals hold a record of 17-3-4 when Ovechkin scores a goal this season and a 23-8-6 record when he records a point.
Ovechkin is on pace to record 48 goals this season. If he’s able to reach the 50-goal mark, he will tie Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky for the most such instances in NHL history (9x). Ovechkin would additionally tie Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history (12). CAPITALS vs. MAPLE LEAFS ALL-TIME (CAREER TOTALS) Games Goals Assists Points Ovechkin (50) Ovechkin (41) Backstrom (36) Ovechkin (73) Backstrom (41) Backstrom (9) Ovechkin (32) Backstrom (45) Eller (39) Eller (7) Carlson (19) Carlson (24) Nice and Kuzy
Evgeny Kuznetsov has recorded an assist in two-straight games and leads the Capitals with 35 assists.
This could mark the third time in his career Kuznetsov has led the Capitals in assists in a season (also 2015-16 and 2017-18).
Kuznetsov is on pace for 53 assists this year, which would be the third-most in a season in his career, the most since his 56 in 2017-18 and the fourth time in his career he’d reach the 50-assist mark.
Since his first time reaching the mark in 2015-16 (career high 57 assists), Kuznetsov’s 292 assists in that span rank 16th among forwards.
Kuznetsov is one of just 14 players in the NHL with three 50-assists seasons since 2015-16.
Sweet Nicky
Nicklas Backstrom recorded an assist on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers, marking his 15th point of the season (4g, 11a) and the 995th of his career (262g, 733a).
Backstrom is now five points shy of becoming the second player in franchise history to reach the 1,000 point mark, where he would join Alex Ovechkin (1,383).
Since his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2007, Backstrom would become the fifth player to record 1,000 points during that span, where he will join Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Evgeni Malkin.
With 733 career assists, Backstrom will have the sixth-most assists by any player who reached the 1,000 point mark in NHL history and will be the only active player with at least 733 assists at the milestone.
Super Carly
John Carlson has recorded points in five of his last seven games (1g, 5a) and is currently tied for ninth in the NHL in points (40) among defensemen.
Carlson’s five game assist streak came to an end on Thursday against the New York Rangers. He is one of 17 defensemen this season with an assist streak of at least five games.
Among active defensemen, Carlson’s 562 career points are the 11th most. Additionally, his 0.66 points per game rate is tied for fourth among the top20 defensemen in points, only trailing Erik Karlsson (0.79), Kris Letang (0.69), Roman Josi (0.68) and tied with Victor Hedman (0.66). Did you Know?
The Capitals have allowed 28.8 shots per game this season, the third-lowest per game total in the NHL (Los Angeles: 28.3 shots against per game; Carolina: 28.7). Real Time Leaders Goals: Alex Ovechkin, 32 Assists: Evgeny Kuznetsov, 35 Points: Alex Ovechkin, 63 Shots: Alex Ovechkin, 232 Hits: Garnet Hathaway, 165 Blocked Shots: Trevor van Riemsdyk,
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (34-14-4 – 72 Points) at DETROIT RED WINGS (23-24-6 – 52 Points) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022 1 2 3 FINAL TORONTO 3 4 3 10 DETROIT 1 1 5 7 SCORING NOTES
William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs at 3:52 of the first period. Nylander posted his 20th goal of the season.
Michael Bunting scored for Toronto at 6:18 of the first period. Bunting recorded his 18th goal of the season. Bunting also posted the secondary assist on Marner’s first goal of the game and second goal of the game as well as the primary assist on Marner’s third goal of the game and fourth goal of the game. Bunting has recorded 22 assists this season.
David Kämpf scored for the Maple Leafs at 11:06 of the first period. Kämpf posted his eighth goal of the season. Kämpf also posted the primary assist on Kaše’s shorthanded goal. Kämpf recorded his 12th assist of the season.
Mitch Marner scored for Toronto at 0:33 of the second period, 4:13 of the second period and 9:19 of the second period and 15:41 of the third period. Marner recorded his first career NHL hat trick. Marner has recorded 21 goals this season. Marner also registered the secondary assist on Bunting’s goal and the secondary assist on Matthews’ goal. Marner has recorded 33 assists this season.
Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs at 18:38 of the second period. Matthews recorded his 37th goal of the season. Matthews also posted the primary assist on Marner’s first goal of the game and second goal of the game as well as the secondary assist on Marner’s third goal of the game. Matthews has registered 31 assists this season.
Ilya Mikheyev scored for Toronto at 7:04 of the third period. Mikheyev recorded his ninth goal of the season. Mikheyev also posted the primary assist on Kämpf’s goal. Mikheyev recorded his fourth assist of the season.
Ondřej Kaše scored shorthanded for Toronto at 10:33 of the third period. Kaše posted his 11th goal of the season. Kaše also recorded the secondary assist on Nylander’s goal. Kaše posted his 12th assist of the season.
Justin Holl posted the primary assist on Nylander’s goal, the primary assist on Bunting’s goal and the secondary assist on Kaše’s shorthanded goal. Holl has registered 10 assists this season.
Alexander Kerfoot registered the secondary assist on Kämpf’s goal as well as the primary assist on Mikheyev’s goal. Kerfoot has posted 29 assists this season.
TJ Brodie recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ goal. Brodie registered his 10th assist of the season.
Ilya Lyubushkin registered the secondary assist on Mikheyev’s goal. Lyubushkin posted his 10th assist of the season, his first with the Maple Leafs. GOALTENDER NOTES
Jack Campbell stopped 20 of 25 shots tonight. Petr Mrázek relieved Campbell during the third period and stopped 6 of 8 shots. SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
The Maple Leafs were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill tonight. OF NOTE…
Mitch Marner recorded his first career hat trick with three goals in the second period tonight. This is the 37th time in Maple Leafs history that a player has recorded 3+ goals in a period, a feat most recently accomplished by Andreas Johnsson in the first period on Nov. 24, 2018 vs. PHI.
Mitch Marner recorded a single-game NHL career-high four goals during tonight’s game. Marner also recorded a single-game NHL career-high with six points (4G, 2A).
Michael Bunting posted a single-game NHL career-high in assists with four. Bunting also posted a single-game NHL career-high in points with five (1G, 4A).
Auston Matthews a single-game NHL career-high four points during tonight’s game (1G, 3A). He has recorded a four-point game on 10 occasions during his NHL career.
With three assists tonight, Justin Holl posted a single-game NHL career-high in both assists and points.
With his eighth goal of the season posted tonight, David Kämpf tied an NHL career season-high in goals.
With his ninth goal of the season posted tonight, Ilya Mikheyev recorded an NHL career season-high in goals.
Ilya Mikheyev recorded two points during tonight’s game (1G, 1A), tying a single-game NHL career-high which he has marked on 10 occasions.
Ondřej Kaše posted the second shorthanded goal of his NHL career.
Ilya Lyubushkin recorded his first point as a Maple Leaf with his assist on Mikheyev’s game-winning goal.
Timothy Liljegren was on the ice for a team-high 28 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5.
Mitch Marner finished the game with a team-high 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 71.05 percent (27 for, 11 against).
Per NHL Stats, the Maple Leafs scored 10 or more goals in a game for the first time in 15 years, most recently a 10-2 win at BOS on Jan. 4, 2007.
Per NHL Stats, the Maple Leafs (10) and Red Wings (7) combined for 17 goals – the most in a single game since the Jets and Flyers on Oct. 27, 2011 (17). SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets) 1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL TORONTO 15 (15) 12 (12) 12 (11) 39 (38) DETROIT 8 (6) 10 (9) 15 (15) 33 (30) SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets) 1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL TORONTO 26 (26) 17 (17) 18 (17) 61 (60) DETROIT 11 (8) 16 (14) 23 (14) 50 (44) ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Maple Leafs are 15-9-3 on the road this season.
Toronto’s all-time record is 296-281-93-5 in 675 games against the Detroit Red Wings and 120-173- 46-2 in 341 games played in Detroit.
Toronto is 18-7-2 against the Eastern Conference this season and 9-3-0 against the Atlantic Division this season. RECORD WHEN…
Toronto is 22-4-2 when scoring the first goal of the game.
The Maple Leafs are 20-2-2 when leading after one period and 25-0-2 when leading after two periods.
Toronto is 21-10-3 when outshooting their opponent.
The Maple Leafs are 10-4-2 in Saturday games. MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS Shots 6 (Marner) Shot Attempts 8 (Marner) Faceoff Wins 11 (Tavares) Faceoff Win Percentage 75% (Kämpf – 9 won, 3 lost) Hits 4 (Lyubushkin) Blocked Shots 2 (Kerfoot) Takeaways 1 (Spezza, Kaše, Brodie) TOI 22:34 (Brodie) Power Play TOI N/A Shorthanded TOI 3:56 (Holl) Shifts 25 (Rielly, Liljegren) 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage 71.05% (Marner – 27 for, 11 against) UPCOMING GAMES: Feb. 28 Leafs at Washington Capital One Arena 7:30 pm ET March 2 Leafs vs. Buffalo Scotiabank Arena 7:30 pm ET March 5 Leafs vs. Canucks Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET March 7 Leafs at Columbus Nationwide Arena 7:00 pm ET March 8 Leafs vs. Seattle Scotiabank Arena 8:00 pm ET March 10 Leafs vs. Arizona Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET 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. For Maple Leafs notes, transcripts, audio clips and media guides, please visit MapleLeafs.com/pressbox. POSTGAME QUOTES: HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE On tonight’s game: “I thought we played an excellent game. Let’s not let the craziness of the third period take away from the fact that we played an excellent game, even within the third period, but then all that nonsense. The way Mikheyev responded on his goal, that line scored us a huge goal there. The way the penalty kill responded in a key moment. So the craziness of the period, that is going to be the focus but our guys played a really good game today. You go into the third period and you really just want to get out of there, then all of a sudden they throw a floater at the net and it goes in and they get life and they get a couple more just like that and it changes things. Things changed there quickly but let’s not lose sight of the fact that our guys played a really good game today.” MITCH MARNER On what he’ll remember about tonight’s win: “A lot of great plays by my line mates. A lot of great plays by our team. Wild game completely. Obviously, not how we wanted to be in that third but just good on the guys for sticking with it believing in that process and getting it done.” AUSTON MATTHEWS On what changed during the third period: “They just got a couple quick goals, just the momentum. You could feel the energy in the crowd turn on a little bit and when you score like that, shift after shift, obviously they got the fans into it they get belief now on their side and all of a sudden it’s a hockey game.” MICHAEL BUNTING On tonight’s win: “I thought we played great the first two periods. Especially our start, I thought our start was one of the best of the year. We were creating chances and we were able to get a lead but hockey is a funny game like that, you kind of step off the pedal a little bit there and they get momentum and the crowd gets into it and they start rolling and all of a sudden it’s a one-goal game so I thought we responded great and I thought we didn’t panic and we got the win so that’s all that matters. We’re walking away with two points and we just have to move on from this. A win is a win and looking forward to Monday.” JUSTIN HOLL On what changed during the third period: “Obviously the third period was crazy. You go out there with the intention to not give them anything. They get a couple early goals and get some life and all of a sudden you’re in a hockey game so I thought it was a great response by some guys to get some goals back and put the game away in the end.”
Toronto: B. Seney (14) (J. Anderson, F. Král), A. Steeves (16) PP (J. Duszak, J. Anderson), S. Der-Arguchintsev (10) (Unassisted), J. Anderson (18) EN, SH (A. Suomela, K. Rubīns) Goaltender: E. Källgren (22/22) W
Brett Seney opened the scoring at 3:32 of the first period. This was his fourth goal against Rochester this season.He has points (1-3-4) in three consecutive games. Seney has 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 37 games with the Marlies, with 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) collected in the first period.
Alex Steeves scored on the power play at 5:19 of the third period. He has points (3-4-7) in four consecutive games. Steeves had a career-high eight shots on goal.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev scored unassisted at 11:31 of the third period. He has 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 38 games this season.
Joey Anderson scored shorthanded on the empty net at 18:35 of the third period. He earlier recorded the primary assist on Seney’s first period goal and the secondary assist on Steeves’ third period goal. In his last seven games, he has 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists). This was his fifth three-point game of the season.
Filip Král registered the secondary assist on Seney’s first period goal. He has 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists) in 39 games with the Marlies this season.
Joseph Duszak picked up the primary assist on Steeves’ third period power play goal. He has points (2-5-7) in his last seven games.
Antti Suomela had the primary assist on Anderson’s third period goal. He has 19 points (10 goals, 9 assists) in 25 games with the Marlies.
Kristiāns Rubīns recorded the secondary assist on Anderson’s third period goal.
Erik Källgren stopped all 22 shots he faced. This was his first career AHL shutout.
OF NOTE
This was Toronto’s first shutout of the season.
Toronto has recorded four or more goals in 26 games (21-2-2-1) this season.
Toronto went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill and 1-for-6 on the power play. Toronto is 18-9-1-0 when scoring on the power play and 12-7-1-0 when not allowing a goal on the penalty kill.
Toronto had a 40-22 edge in shots in all situations. Alex Steeves led the Marlies with eight shots on goal. Toronto is 9-3-1-0 when outshooting their opponents.
The Marlies are 14-9-2-1 against North Division opponents and 3-1-0-0 against the Americans. Toronto has outscored Rochester 16-10 through four games.
RECORD WHEN
Scoring first 18-1-1-1 Leading after 1 13-1-2-1 Leading after 2 18-1-2-1 On the road 12-8-1-0 February 5-2-1-0 Saturday 8-4-2-0
It was a good 60-minute effort. Good energy, good start. We built momentum, got stronger as the game went on in terms of managing the puck and not giving them turnovers in transition towards our net.
OnKällgren’s shutout: He was great today. That’s back-to-back games in this barn where he’s done a really good job shutting the door. I don’t know if the shutout has been on the mind for anyone. I’m sure for him as any goalie is looking to get their first and even to this point, he probably deserves a shutout prior to this one. There were a couple of games here and there where we had some leads and we didn’t shut the door the way we should in the third period. He’s been really patient, he’s been working really hard. The consistency and the calmness in which he plays gives our team a lot of confidence.
JOEY ANDERSON (1 GOAL, 2 ASSISTS)
On today’s game: Today was an awesome effort by everyone. Right out of the gate, we were physical. (Källgren) played great in the back end. We were simple with the puck. Like I said, I think this is the most physical game we’ve played and it’s just awesome that guys stepped up today. There wasn’t a guy out there that wasn’t carrying his weight. It was a complete 60-minutes from us today. It was really awesome for us to be able to help (Källgren) get that shutout today. It’s something we can build off of as a group.
ERIK KÄLLGREN (FIRST CAREER AHL SHUTOUT)
On his first shutout and whether he had thought about it this season:
You think about it. I think about it. You want to get the one. I’m not going to lie to you. We’ve been close a couple times before but of course we get the win and that’s the most important thing but to get that shutout is nice.
On the team’s performance in front of him: We were very solid defensively. A couple of guys made some really big plays defensively. That obviously helps a lot. I think they had 11 shots for the last two periods. That definitely helps me. This is a team win and you can’t get a shutout without the team.
UPCOMING GAMES: *All times Eastern Standard Time
February 27 vs. Rochester – 4:00 p.m. March 2 vs. Abbotsford – 7:00 p.m. March 5 at Cleveland – 7:00 p.m. March 6 at Cleveland – 12:00 p.m. March 8 vs. Providence – 3:00 p.m.
2021-22 Matchups vs. Detroit: Third of Four 2021-22 Record vs. Detroit: 2-0-0 Toronto Season Record: 33-14-4 Toronto Road Record: 14-9-3 TV: Sportsnet RADIO: Sportsnet 590
RECENT TRANSACTIONS February 25, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Nick Robertson from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). February 24, 2022 The Maple Leafs have recalled forward Kyle Clifford from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). February 21, 2022 The Maple Leafs acquired goaltender Carter Hutton from Arizona in exchange for future considerations. February 21, 2022 The San Jose Sharks claimed forward Ryan Dzingel off waivers from Toronto. February 19, 2022 The Maple Leafs acquired forward Ryan Dzingel and defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Nick Ritchie and choice of Toronto’s third-round selection in 2023 or second-round selection in 2025.
LAST GAME Score: Toronto 3 vs. Minnesota 1 Date: Thursday, February 24, 2022 TOR Goals: Matthews (2x), Kerfoot MIN Goals: Gaudreau TOR Goaltender: Mrazek, 29/30, .967 SV% MIN Goaltender: Kahkonen, 22/24, .917 SV% TOR Power Play: 0-for-2 TOR Penalty Kill: 4-for-4 Team Notes: – Auston Matthews currently leads the league in goals with 36.
Auston Matthews tied a season-high (and a career second-best) with 17 face-off wins during Thursday’s game.
TJ Brodie tied a season-high with five blocks.
NEXT GAME Date: Monday, February 28, 2022 Opponent: at Washington Capitals Time: 7:30 pm ET Broadcast Information: Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio) INJURY REPORT
Jake Muzzin Concussion
ALL-TIME VS. DETROIT RED WINGS: First Matchup between Clubs: January 4, 1927 (Toronto 2 at Detroit 1) All-Time Record: 295-281-93-5 (674 Games) All-Time Record at Home: 176-108-47-3 (334 Games) All-Time Record on the Road: 119-173-46-2 (340 Games) Last Road Win vs. Opponent: January 29, 2022 (Toronto 7 at Detroit 4) Record in Last Five Games: 5-0-0 Record in Last 10 Games: 8-0-2
ACTIVE LEADERS VS. DETROIT RED WINGS: Games Played: Wayne Simmonds (36), Morgan Rielly (29), John Tavares (27) Goals: Auston Matthews (12), John Tavares (12), Jason Spezza (8) Assists: John Tavares (28), Morgan Rielly (16), Wayne Simmonds (14) Points: John Tavares (40), Wayne Simmonds (21), Auston Matthews (21) Penalty Minutes: Wayne Simmonds (49), Jake Muzzin (15), Travis Dermott (12)
2021-22 AVERAGES AND RANKINGS Points % GF/Game GA/Game PP% PK% SF/G SA/G FO% Toronto .686 3.53 2.77 30.0% 84.7% 34.7 30.6 56.2% Detroit .500 2.81 3.46 17.0% 76.4% 29.4 32.7 50.8% Power Play: 42/140 (30.0%) Power Play Goal Leader: 12 – Matthews Power Play Point Leader: 22 – Matthews (12G, 10A) 2020-21 Power Play: 31/155 (20.0%)
ON THE PK IN 2021-22 Penalty Kill: 122/144 (84.7%) Shorthanded Goal Leader: 2 – Kämpf, Marner, Mikheyev Shorthanded Point Leader: 3 – Marner (2G, 1A), Kämpf (2G, 1A) 2020-21 Penalty Kill: 113/144 (78.5%)
FAST FACTS Saturday games 16th of 23 (9 home, 14 road) Back-to-Backs played 8 of 13 Record in first game of back-to-back 4-3-1 Record in second game of back-to-back 3-4-1 February games 11th of 12 (4 home, 8 road) UPCOMING MILESTONES
TJ Brodie Seven points away from 300 career NHL points Mitch Marner Three games away from 400 career NHL games played Jake Muzzin Nine points away from 300 career NHL points Wayne Simmonds Four games away from 1,000 career NHL games played
2021-22 MILESTONES TJ Brodie Appeared in his 700th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK TJ Brodie Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 14, 2021 at EDM Jack Campbell Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 16, 2021 vs. NSH Pierre Engvall Appeared in his 100th career NHL game, Nov. 2, 2021 vs. VGK Ondrej Kaše Recorded his 100th career NHL point, Nov. 10, 2021 at PHI Ondrej Kaše Scored his 50th career NHL goal, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Alexander Kerfoot Appeared in his 300th career NHL game, Nov. 26, 2021 at SJS Alexander Kerfoot Recorded his 100th career NHL assist, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT Timothy Liljegren Scored his first career NHL goal, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL Auston Matthews Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Jan. 31, 2022 vs. NJD Auston Matthews Recorded his 200th career NHL goal, Oct. 25, 2021 at CAR Mitch Marner Recorded his 400th career NHL point, Feb. 14, 2022 at SEA Ilya Mikheyev Skated in his 100th career NHL game, Jan. 15, 2022 at STL William Nylander Skated in his 400th career NHL game, Feb. 1, 2022 at NJD William Nylander Recorded his 300th career NHL point, Jan. 19, 2022 at NYR Morgan Rielly Recorded his 250th career NHL assist, Oct. 27, 2021 at CHI Morgan Rielly Skated in his 600th career NHL game, Dec. 9, 2021 vs. TBL Wayne Simmonds Skated in his 950th career NHL game, Oct. 16, 2021 vs. OTT Jason Spezza Skated in his 1,200th career NHL game, Nov. 28, 2021 at ANA John Tavares Recorded his 200th point with the Maple Leafs, Oct. 18, 2021 vs. NYR John Tavares Scored his 100th goal with the Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2021 at BUF John Tavares Skated in his 900th career NHL game, Jan. 1, 2022 vs. OTT
RED WINGS
LAST GAME DET 2 vs. COL 5 (2/23/22) 1ST PERIOD: COL Landeskog (Makar, Helm) 1:12-EV; COL Jost (O’Connor, Newhook) 11:47-EV 2ND PERIOD: DET Zadina (Seider, Larkin) 11:35-EV; COL Kadri (Rantanen, Toews) 18:19-EV 3RD PERIOD: COL Nichushkin (Burakovsky, Newhook) 2:11-EV; DET Fabbri (Seider, Larkin) 9:38-PP; COL Landeskog (Rantanen, Makar) 19:21-EN SHOTS: DET 34 (7-13-14) / COL 31 (11-10-10) GOALIES: DET Greiss (L, 26-30) / COL Francouz (W, 32-34) PP: DET 1-3 / COL 0-3 MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since) Jakub Vrana – shoulder (52 / Oct. 11) Mitchell Stephens – lower body (36 / Nov. 15) Riley Barber – lower body (15 / Jan. 11) Total Man Games Lost: 219 Individual Man Games Lost: Stecher (37), Rowney (18), Lindstrom (11), Bertuzzi (8), Staal (7), Greiss (6), Larkin (5), Leddy (5), DeKeyser (4), Veleno (3), Fabbri (2), Hronek (2), Namestnikov (2), Rasmussen (2), Erne (1), Nedeljkovic (1), Smith (1), Zadina (1) RECENT TRANSACTIONS 2/23 – Recalled F Joe Veleno from Grand Rapids…Removed F Carter Rowney from IR RED WINGS vs. MAPLE LEAFS TONIGHT: 675th all-time meeting…341st in DET…3rd of 4 games this season…2nd of 2 at LCA ALL-TIME vs. TOR: 286-288-93-7 / HOME: 175-115-46-4 / LAST 10: 2-7-1 / IN 2019-20: 0-3-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-2-0 DET top scorers vs. TOR: Dylan Larkin (8-8-16 in 20 GP), Nick Leddy (3-12-15 in 23 GP), Marc Staal (3-12-15 in 39 GP), Sam Gagner (6-8-14 in 23 GP), Vladislav Namestnikov (5-4-9 in 19 GP), Tyler Bertuzzi (3-2-5 in 8 GP), Robby Fabbri (0-4-4 in 8 GP), Moritz Seider (0-3-3 in 2 GP) TOR top scorers vs. DET: John Tavares (12-28-40 in 27 GP), Auston Matthews (12-9-21 in 16 GP), Wayne Simmonds (7-14-21 in 36 GP), Morgan Rielly (4-16-20 in 29 GP), Jason Spezza (8-11-19 in 25 GP), Mitch Marner (6-8-14 in 16 GP), T.J. Brodie (2-10-12 in 21 GP), William Nylander (6-5-11 in 18 GP), Alexander Kerfoot (2-3-5 in 8 GP), Michael Bunting (4-0-4 in 2 GP) NOTES: DET F Givani Smith is a Toronto native while Robby Fabbri was born in Mississauga…DET F Sam Gagner had 37 points (12-25-37) in 43 GP for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in 2018-19…TOR D T.J. Brodie logged 107 points (20-87-107) in 170 GP for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit from 2006- 09…TOR G Jack Campbell is a Port Huron native who played for the U.S. NTDP from 2008-10…TOR F Auston Matthews skated for the NTDP from 2013-15 prior to turning pro…TOR G Petr Mrazek was DET’s 5th choice (141st overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and made 166 appearances for the club from 2013-18; Mrazek also won a Calder Cup title with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013…TOR F William Nylander is the son of Michael Nylander, who tallied 18 points (2-16-18) in 24 GP for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2009-10…TOR F Nick Robertson is a Little Caesars Amateur Hockey product…TOR F Jason Spezza made his pro debut with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins during the 2002 Calder Cup playoffs…TOR head coach Sheldon Keefe had 12 points (7-5-12) in 13 GP for the IHL’s Detroit Vipers in 2000-01…TOR asst. coach Spencer Carbery was head coach of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in 2016-17…TOR goaltending coach Steve Briere appeared in 21 games for the ECHL’s Toledo Storm in 2001-02…TOR president Brendan Shanahan won 3 Stanley Cup championships in DET and amassed 633 points (309-324-633) in 716 GP for the club from 1996-06. RECENT RESULTS Feb. 23 vs. COL – 5-2 L DET fell against COL to move to 23-23-6 overall and 15-10-3 at LCA…Filip Zadina put DET on the board with his 7th goal of the season…Moritz Seider recorded a pair of assists to extend his point streak to 5-straight games (1-7-8 in 5 GP)…Dylan Larkin also tallied 2 assists to boost his point streak to a season-long 8-straight games (6-10-16 in 8 GP)…It marks Larkin’s longest point streak since a 14-game run (7-10-17 in 14 GP) from 12/4- 12/31/18…With an assist on Zadina’s goal, Larkin became the 29th skater in DET history to reach the 200-assist mark; he is also the 3rd player from the 2014 NHL Draft class to log 200 career assists, joining Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak…Robby Fabbri added his 14th goal of the season, tying Larkin for the team lead with his 5th PPG of the campaign…Carter Rowney returned to the lineup after missing 17 games with a lower-body injury.
LOVE TO “C” IT
Dylan Larkin (26-28-54 in 47 GP) has surpassed his point total from the 2019-20 season (19-34-53 in 71 GP).
Notched 6 multi-point games during his current 8-game point streak.
Has amassed 22 points (10-12-22) in his last 14 games, and 32 points (16-16-32) in 23 contests since 12/14 vs. NYI.
Paces the NHL with 10 game-opening goals, and is tied for the league lead with 3 OTGs. Detroit Red Wings: Media Notes THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Lucas Raymond ranks among the NHL rookie leaders with 13 goals (T3rd), 26 assists (T2nd), 39 points (T1st), 4 PPG (1st), 13 PPP (2nd) and 113 shots (T2nd).
Moritz Seider ranks among the NHL’s top rookie d-men with 5 goals (T1st), 32 assists (1st), 37 points (1st), 2 PPG (1st), 16 PPP (1st), 2 OTG (1st), 3 GWG (1st), 109 shots (1st) and 22:53 TOI (1st).
Alex Nedeljkovic leads all NHL rookie goalies with 14 wins.
DET tops the NHL in rookie scoring with 83 points (22-61-83). GUELPH FOREVER
DET has utilized Tyler Bertuzzi, Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter on the same forward line since 1/15 vs. BUF. The trio won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the Guelph Storm in 2014 before reaching the Memorial Cup Final.
Bertuzzi has 16 points (6-10-16) in his last 14 games, and 26 points (14-12-26) in 23 contests since 12/16 at CAR.
Fabbri has 9 points (3-6-9) in his last 10 games, and 12 points (5-7-12) in 14 outings since 1/15 vs. BUF.
Suter has won 67 of 102 faceoffs (65.7%) dating back to 1/31 vs. ANA. STAAL APPROACHES 1,000
Marc Staal is set to appear in his 994th career regular-season game. He can reach the 1,000-game milestone as early as 3/12 at CGY.
On pace to join siblings Eric (1,293 GP) and Jordan Staal (1,063 GP) as the 1st 3-brother set in NHL history to each skate in 1,000 regular-season games. In all, 7 sets of brothers have each played in at least 1,000 regular-season games (see full list below): MILESTONE WATCH
Fabbri is 1 point from 150 and 4 games from 300
Leddy is 2 points from 350
Rasmussen is 4 points from 50
Rowney is 4 games from 250
Blashill is 5 wins from 200 as an NHL head coach
Staal is 7 games from 1,000 THIS DATE IN RED WINGS HISTORY Feb. 26, 2002 – Brendan Shanahan scored twice while playing with a broken thumb, netting the winning goal 2:55 into OT in a 4-3 victory at TB. 2021-22 INDIVIDUAL STATS Most Goals: 4, Bertuzzi, Oct. 14 vs. TB Most Assists: 3, Larkin, Feb. 12 vs. PHI/Oct. 24 at CHI; Raymond, Nov. 6 at BUF Most Points: 4, Larkin, Dec. 18 vs. NJ; Bertuzzi, Nov. 6 at BUF/Oct. 14 vs. TB; Raymond, Oct. 24 at CHI Most SOG: 8, Larkin, Jan. 13 vs. WPG; Bertuzzi, Nov. 27 vs. BUF Most PIM: 20, Smith, Jan. 4 vs. SJ Most TOI: 27:47, Hronek, Jan. 9 at ANA Most Hits: 8, Erne, Nov. 13 vs. MTL Most Blocked Shots: 6, Lindstrom, Oct. 23 at MTL Most Saves: 41, Nedeljkovic, Nov. 30 at BOS/Oct. 14 vs. TB Longest Goal Streak: 3, Larkin, Dec. 14-18/Nov. 13-16 Longest Assist Streak: 6, Larkin, Jan. 29-Feb. 14 Longest Point Streak: 8, Larkin, Jan. 29-pres. NAME GP NAME GP Daniel Sedin 1,306 Henrik Sedin 1,330 Scott Niedermayer 1,263 Rob Niedermayer 1,153 Eric Staal 1,293 Jordan Staal 1,063 Ron Sutter 1,093 Brent Sutter 1,111 Kevin Hatcher 1,157 Derian Hatcher 1,045 Saku Koivu 1,124 Mikko Koivu 1,035 Geoff Courtnall 1,048 Russ Courtnall 1,029 2021-22 REGULAR SEASON HIGHS AND LOWS Longest Win Streak – Overall: 5, Nov. 24-Dec. 4 / Home: 5, Nov. 13-Dec. 4 / Road: 2, twice (MR: Jan. 28-Feb. 9) Longest Winless Streak – Overall: 4, three times (MR: Jan. 8-13) / Home: 3, Jan. 21-29 / Road: 6, Dec. 9-Jan. 11 Longest Point Streak – Overall: 6, Nov. 20-Dec. 4 / Home: 5, Nov. 13-Dec. 4 / Road: 3, Jan. 9-17 THE LAST TIME… PROSPECT WATCH The AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins (21-20-5-2) lost 2-0 to the Bakersfield Condors on Friday at Van Andel Arena. Calvin Pickard stopped 35 of 36 shots. Next Game: Feb. 26 vs. Bakersfield. DETROIT OPPONENT Most GF, Game 6, four times (MR: Feb. 9 at PHI) 8, Jan. 26 vs. CHI Fewest GF, Game 0, five times (MR: Jan. 13 vs. WPG) 0, Jan. 15 vs. BUF Most GF, Period 4, twice, (MR: Oct. 24 at CHI, 2nd) 5, Jan. 29 vs. TOR, 3rd Most SOG, Game 45, Oct. 19 vs. CBJ 48, Oct. 14 vs. TB Most SOG, Period 22, Jan. 15 vs. BUF, 1st 27, Jan. 8 at LA, 1st Fewest SOG, Game 15, Nov. 4 at BOS 15, Jan. 31 vs. ANA Fewest SOG, Period 2, Jan. 8 at LA, 1st 3, twice (MR: Dec. 4 vs. NYI, 1st) Most PPG, Game 2, twice (MR: Jan. 15 vs. BUF) 3, three times (MR: Feb. 14 at MIN) Most PIM, Game 38, Jan. 4 vs. SJ 25, Jan. 4 vs. SJ Fewest PIM, Game 2, seven times (MR: Jan. 31 vs. ANA) 0, Nov. 24 vs. STL Fastest Consec. Goals 0:37, Jan. 4 vs. SJ, shorthanded (Suter, Bertuzzi) 0:10, Nov. 11 vs. WSH (Orlov, Eller) Fastest Goal, Start of Game 0:16, Nov. 6 at BUF (Suter) 1:12, Feb. 23 vs. COL (Landeskog) Fastest Goal, Start of Period 0:13, Jan. 15 vs. BUF, 3rd (Raymond) 0:17, Oct. 30 at TOR, 3rd (Kerfoot) HOME AWAY DET recorded a shutout 1/15/22, 4-0 vs. BUF (Nedeljkovic) 4/27/21, 0-1 at CBJ (Greiss) DET was shutout 1/13/22, 3-0 vs. WPG (Hellebuyck) 1/8/22, 4-0 at LA (Petersen) DET scored in OT 1/31/22, Oesterle vs. ANA (Gibson) 1/17/22, Larkin at BUF (Dell) Opp. scored in OT 1/21/22, Hintz vs. DAL (Nedeljkovic) 1/11/22, Couture at SJ (Nedeljkovic) DET had a hat trick 12/18/21, Larkin vs. NJ 10/24/21, Raymond at CHI Opp. had a hat trick 1/29/22, Bunting vs. TOR 2/14/22, Boldy at MIN DET player had 4 goals 10/14/21, Bertuzzi vs. TB 12/2/95, Kozlov at MTL Opp. player had 4 goals 4/2/09, Backes vs. STL 11/4/21, Bergeron at BOS DET player had 5 goals 12/26/96, Fedorov vs. WSH 2/2/11, Franzen at OTT Opp. player had 5 goals Never 2/2/77, I. Turnbull at TOR DET player had penalty shot 2/14/19, Athanasiou vs. OTT (Nilsson, goal) 11/15/18, Rasmussen at OTT (Anderson, save) Opp. player had penalty shot 4/8/21, Arvidsson vs. NSH (Greiss, goal) 2/11/20, Sheary at BUF (Bernier, save) DET player scored SHG 1/4/22, Bertuzzi vs. SJ 1/17/22, Namestnikov at BUF DET player scored 2 SHGs 12/31/09, Helm vs. COL 10/10/02, Maltby at S
Khem Birch will start in Anunoby’s place, with Thad Young playing a key role off the bench. Nurse said Young has picked things up quickly (“you can tell he’s been around”) and will be “vitally important” with OG out (with a broken finger).
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GAME #58 – TORONTO RAPTORS (32-25) at CHARLOTTE HORNETS (29-31) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 – 7 P.M. (ET) – SPECTRUM CENTER TV: TSN – RADIO: SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN
The Toronto Raptors (32-25) begin a three-game road trip Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets (29- 31) at Spectrum Center. The Raptors start the second half of the season at 32-25, having already surpassed their win total from last season of 27 victories. Tonight marks the third and final regular season meeting between these two teams, with Toronto winning the first two. Gary Trent Jr. is averaging a team-high 28.0 points against the Hornets this year. • The Raptors defeated Minnesota 103-91 in their final game before the All-Star break, and have now won nine of their last 11 games (Jan. 29 – Feb. 16). During this stretch, the Raptors are shooting .464 (469- 1011) from the field and .398 (148-372) from three-point range. Toronto is +22 (137-to-115) on the offensive glass over the last 11 and currently ranks second (13.1) in the NBA in offensive boards per game. • Gary Trent Jr. scored a team-high 30 points and added four rebounds and two assists Feb. 16 at Minnesota. Trent Jr. has now tallied 30+ points with five-or-more made three-pointers eight times this season, just one shy of Pascal Siakam’s single-season franchise record of nine games set during the 2019-2020 campaign. Trent Jr. (8), Fred VanVleet (8), Pascal Siakam (7) and OG Anunoby (1) have all scored 30+ points this season – the Raptors are 19-4 in games when they have at least one player score 30-or-more. • Fred VanVleet has scored 20+ points in a career-high seven straight games played (Feb. 1-14), averaging 22.0 points and shooting .457 (32-70) from three-point range during this span. He sat out Feb. 10 at Houston with left groin soreness and Feb. 16 at Minnesota with a right knee contusion. VanVleet has made 201 threes this season – third most in a season in Raptors history; behind only Kyle Lowry (238 in 2017- 18 & 212 in 2015-16). VanVleet has connected on 5+ threes in a franchise record 18 games this season. • Pascal Siakam is currently averaging 21.9 points, and career highs of 8.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, in 44 games this season. He is one of just five players in the NBA averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James Harden, and Nikola Jokic. No Raptor has averaged 20-8-5 for an entire season. • Rookie Scottie Barnes reached 700 career points Feb. 16 at Minnesota, becoming just the eighth Raptors rookie to reach the milestone. Barnes (49 games) becomes the third fastest rookie to reach the 700-point mark in franchise history, behind only Vince Carter (39 games) and Damon Stoudamire (38 games). Barnes currently ranks fourth among rookies with 706 total points. He leads all first year players in minutes per game (35.4), ranks third in rebounds (7.4) and fifth in both scoring (14.4) and assists (3.3). • Reserves Precious Achiuwa (11) and Thaddeus Young (10) each scored in double figures Feb. 16 vs. Minnesota. Toronto is now 7-1 this season in games when two or more reserves score 10+ points
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (33-14-4 – 70 Points) vs. MINNESOTA WILD (31-15-3 – 65 Points) THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 1 2 3 FINAL MINNESOTA 0 1 0 1 TORONTO 0 1 2 3
SCORING NOTES
Auston Matthews scored for Toronto at 9:04 of the second period. Matthews scored his second goal of the game at 10:22 of the third period. Matthews has recorded 36 goals this season. Matthews has posted five points through his last two games (3G, 2A).
Alexander Kerfoot scored on Minnesota’s empty net at 19:18 of the third period. Kerfoot recorded his eighth goal of the season.
Timothy Liljegren posted the primary assist on Matthews’ first goal of the game. Liljegren recorded his 10th assist of the season.
Travis Dermott registered the secondary assist on Matthews’ first goal of the game. Dermott posted his fourth assist of the season.
Mitch Marner recorded the primary assist on Matthews’ second goal of the game and the primary assist on Kerfoot’s goal. Marner has posted 31 assists this season. Marner has posted an assist in back-to-back games (3A).
John Tavares registered the secondary assist on Kerfoot’s goal. Tavares posted his 31st assist of the season. Tavares has recorded an assist in back-to-back games. GOALTENDER NOTES
Petr Mrázek stopped 29 of 30 shots in tonight’s win. SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
The Maple Leafs were 0-for-2 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill tonight. OF NOTE…
Auston Matthews currently leads the league in goals with 36.
Auston Matthews tied a season-high (and a career second-best) with 17 face-off wins during tonight’s game.
TJ Brodie tied a season-high with five blocks recorded during tonight’s win.
Travis Dermott was on the ice for a team-high 20 Toronto shot attempts-for at 5-on-5.
Travis Dermott finished the game with a team-high 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 66.67 percent (20 for, 10 against). SHOTS ON GOAL (5-on-5 in brackets) 1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL MINNESOTA 6 (6) 11 (6) 13 (9) 30 (21) TORONTO 5 (4) 10 (7) 10 (9) 25 (20) SHOT ATTEMPTS (5-on-5 in brackets) 1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL MINNESOTA 16 (15) 20 (11) 21 (15) 57 (41) TORONTO 14 (9) 16 (12) 20 (19) 50 (40) ON HOME ICE
The Maple Leafs are 19-5-1 at home this season.
Toronto’s all-time record is 13-11-0-2 in 26 games against the Minnesota Wild and 9-5-0-0 in 14 games played in Toronto.
Toronto is 16-7-2 against the Western Conference this season and 6-3-2 against the Central Division this season. RECORD WHEN…
Toronto is 12-10-2 when the opponent scores the first goal of the game.
The Maple Leafs are 10-5-0 when tied after one period and 5-2-2 when tied after two periods.
Toronto is 12-4-1 when outshot by their opponent.
The Maple Leafs are 4-3-0 in Thursday games. MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS Shots 4 (Matthews, Nylander) Shot Attempts 10 (Nylander) Faceoff Wins 17 (Matthews) Faceoff Win Percentage 100% (Kerfoot – 1 won, 0 lost) Hits 3 (Lyubushkin) Blocked Shots 5 (Brodie) Takeaways 6 (Matthews) TOI 24:48 (Brodie) Power Play TOI 2:36 (Marner, Matthews, Nylander) Shorthanded TOI 5:03 (Brodie) Shifts 26 (Marner) 5-on-5 Shot Attempt Percentage 66.67% (Dermott – 20 for, 10 against) UPCOMING GAMES: Feb. 26 Leafs at Detroit Little Caesars Arena 7:30 pm ET Feb. 28 Leafs at Washington Capital One Arena 7:30 pm ET March 2 Leafs vs. Buffalo Scotiabank Arena 7:30 pm ET March 5 Leafs vs. Canucks Scotiabank Arena 7:00 pm ET March 7 Leafs at Columbus Nationwide Arena 7:00 pm ET March 8 Leafs vs. Seattle Scotiabank Arena 8:00 pm ET
POSTGAME QUOTES: HEAD COACH SHELDON KEEFE On tonight’s defensive effort: “I thought it was really solid. We were disciplined and committed to it. It was a low event hockey game, not the most exciting game for sure and our guys I thought just stayed committed to it. Just kept trying to find ways to crack through offensively. We weren’t great offensively today but give Minnesota credit for how they competed and how they played but we’ve been challenging our guys to be more committed defensively and be more focused on it. So the fact that we stayed disciplined in this type of game when there is not a lot happening offensively is really big for our team.” AUSTON MATTHEWS On his team’s defensive effort tonight: “I just thought we stuck with it for the full 60 minutes. There wasn’t a whole lot going on out there offensively for both teams, pretty structured game but I thought Mrázek made some pretty incredible saves when we had breakdowns and we were able to capitalize on a couple of chances so it’s nice to get back in the win column and going to keep this momentum going.” PETR MRÁZEK On the importance of tonight’s game: “Every game is important especially after not winning the last three games so being patient in this game was a big factor and I think we waited for the right moment and great play by Matthews on the blue line there and finished it.” On showing some excitement after Kerfoot’s empty net goal: “I feel like I’m always excited after every win and empty net goal we score. Every game you want to bring joy and get the win, especially after three losses in a row.
The view from left field 