Maple Leafs say they won't take Panthers lightly

Tuesday, 03.26.2013 / 1:06 PM

By Mike Brophy - NHL.com Correspondent / 2012-2013 At the Rink blog

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TORONTO -- There's nothing like taking three of four points from the Boston Bruins to give an emerging team confidence. And the Toronto Maple Leafs know there's nothing like losing at home to the 30th place team in the NHL to throw that credibility out the window.

That's why the Maple Leafs insist they are not taking the Florida Panthers lightly.

"There might be the temptation to take them lightly, but we're not going to let that get into our heads," Toronto defenseman Mark Fraser said. "We got three of four points from a really good team, and now we're going to try to carry the momentum over into tonight's home game. We know we have to get the two points."

The Maple Leafs defeated the Bruins 3-2 at home Saturday night before dropping a 3-2 shootout loss in Boston on Monday and rank sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers have dropped two in a row and sit 30th in the NHL at 9-18-6.

Joffrey Lupul, who notched his fourth goal of the season after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal check, said the Maple Leafs are simply not in a position to take any opponent lightly at this stage of the year.

"We need the two points," Lupul said. "Obviously [Florida] does not have the skill that Boston has or the veterans the Bruins throw at you, but the Panthers have been sitting in Toronto for a few days waiting to play us, so we expect a big effort from them."

Here's how the lineups project for Tuesday's game:

MAPLE LEAFS

James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel

Joffrey Lupul - Nazem Kadri - Nikolai Kulemin

Clarke MacArthur - Mikhail Grabovski - Ryan Hamilton

Frazer McLaren - Jay McClement - Colton Orr

Dion Phaneuf - Carl Gunnarsson

Jake Gardiner - Michael Kostka

Cody Franson - Mark Fraser

Ben Scrivens

James Reimer

Injured: John-Michael Liles (ankle), Leo Komarov (upper body)