Maple Leafs at Canucks preview

MAPLE LEAFS (14-13-4) at CANUCKS (15-11-4)
10 p.m. ET; SNP, SNO, NHL.TV

Markstrom, who has not played since making 25 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 1, missed a 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 3. He returned and backed up Thatcher Demko in a 6-5 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The Canucks are 3-1-0 in their past four games after going 2-4-1 in their previous seven.
Goalie Frederik Andersen will start for the Maple Leafs, who are 2-3-0 in their past five games following a three-game winning streak. Andersen is 5-2-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and one shutout in his past seven starts.

Players to watch

Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman has three goals in his past two games.
Canucks forward J.T. Miller has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in an NHL career-high eight-game point streak.

They said it

"Defensively, trying to protect the net a little bit more … but for the most part try to keep them on the perimeter and trusting [Andersen] will make those saves. And then, on offense, just let our skill take over." -- Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews on the changes in style and system under new coach Sheldon Keefe
"Always special. They get a lot of Leafs fans in the building so hopefully we can silence that crowd tonight." -- Canucks captain Bo Horvat, an Ontario native, on facing Toronto

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Pontus Aberg -- Auston Matthews -- William Nylander
Zach Hyman -- John Tavares -- Mitchell Marner
Ilya Mikheyev -- Alex Kerfoot -- Kasperi Kapanen
Pierre Engvall
-- Jason Spezza -- Nic Petan
Morgan Rielly -- Tyson Barrie
Jake Muzzin -- Justin Holl
Travis Dermott -- Cody Ceci
Frederik Andersen
Michael Hutchinson
Scratched:Frederik Gauthier, Dmytro Timashov, Martin Marincin
Injured: Andreas Johnsson (leg), Trevor Moore (shoulder)

Canucks projected lineup

J.T. Miller -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Tanner Pearson -- Bo Horvat -- Josh Leivo
Antoine Roussel -- Adam Gaudette -- Jake Virtanen
Tim Schaller -- Jay Beagle -- Micheal Ferland
Jordie Benn -- Chris Tanev
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Oscar Fantenberg -- Troy Stecher
Jacob Markstrom
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: Loui Eriksson
Injured: Alexander Edler (upper body), Tyler Graovac (lower body), Tyler Motte (upper body), Brandon Sutter (groin)

Status report

Toronto practiced in Vancouver on Monday but did not skate Tuesday. … Sutter will miss his 13th game despite saying he was ready to return after practice Monday. … The Canucks sent goalie Michael DiPietro to Utica of the American Hockey League on Monday.

Stat pack

Tavares has no points in three games after having six points (four goals, two assists) in his previous three. … Leivo, who spent six seasons with the Maple Leafs, has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past five games. … Pettersson is one point shy of 100 in the NHL.