TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to make it five games in a row with points when they host the Los Angeles Kings at Air Canada Centre on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, FS-W).
The Maple Leafs are 2-0-2 in their past four games; two straight wins were followed by two overtime losses, most recently a 5-4 defeat against the San Jose Sharks at home on Thursday.
"I like that we have points in our last four games but I didn't like our last game," Maple Leafs (10-13-7) coach Mike Babcock said. "When you don't start on time, you don't compete hard enough and you don't deserve the points. Did we play hard as the game went on? For sure."
The Maple Leafs fell behind 2-0 in the first period against the Sharks, scored four in a row to take the lead, but then allowed the game's final three goals.
Babcock said for the Maple Leafs to succeed against the Kings, his players must be prepared to battle from the start of the game.
"What I like about watching the Kings is they are organized and they have good players that play hard," Babcock said. "It takes you about six minutes to do the pre-scout because you see the same things over and over again. Good teams don't trick you; they just beat you. That's what we’re trying to become, a team that gets prepared and does it right every night. Period."