Flames at Maple Leafs preview

FLAMES (5-5-1) at MAPLE LEAFS (8-3-0)
7 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS, NHL.TV

Matthews is out at least four weeks
with a left shoulder injury sustained in a 3-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. He missed 20 games last season with three different injuries; Toronto was 11-7-2 in his absence.
Goalie Frederik Andersen will make his fifth straight start for the Maple Leafs, who have won two in a row and have 16 points, tied with the Nashville Predators for most in the NHL.
Goalie Mike Smith will start for the Flames, who are playing their first of back-to-back games. Calgary has lost their past three games (0-2-1) after going 5-2-0 in their previous seven.

Players to watch

Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past seven games.
Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri will play his 500th NHL game. He has scored in each of his past two games after going nine straight without a goal to start the season.

They said it

"It's a hole for them definitely. He's one of the best players in the world but they're a good enough team where they've dealt with him being injured in the past and continued to play well. We're not expecting a huge change. They still have a lot of stars over there." -- Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, on injured Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews
"I've never met one guy in hockey who says, 'Coach, can I play less?' They always want more opportunity and someone always thinks they're getting the short end of the stick. Nobody is getting the short end of the stick. We've only got 12 forwards. Show me." -- Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock on moving on without Matthews

Flames projected lineup

Johnny Gaudreau -- Sean Monahan -- Elias Lindholm
Matthew Tkachuk -- Mikael Backlund -- Michael Frolik
Sam Bennett -- Mark Jankowski -- James Neal
Dillon Dube -- Derek Ryan -- Garnet Hathaway
Mark Giordano -- TJ Brodie
Noah Hanifin -- Travis Hamonic
Rasmus Andersson -- Juuso Valimaki
Mike Smith
David Rittich
Scratched:Austin Czarnik, Dalton Prout, Michael Stone
Injured:None

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Patrick Marleau -- Nazem Kadri -- Mitchell Marner
Zach Hyman -- John Tavares -- Kasperi Kapanen
Andreas Johnsson -- Par Lindholm -- Connor Brown
Tyler Ennis -- Frederik Gauthier -- Josh Leivo
Morgan Rielly -- Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner -- Nikita Zaitsev
Martin Marincin -- Igor Ozhiganov
Frederik Andersen
Garret Sparks
Scratched:Travis Dermott, Justin Holl
Injured:Auston Matthews (shoulder)

Status report

Jankowski will return after missing one game as a scratch. … Dermott is available to return after missing two games with an illness but will be scratched.

Stat pack

Neal is two points from 500 in NHL. … Rielly will play his 400th NHL game. He has scored one goal in his past five games after he had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) during a season-opening six-game point streak. … Marleau is two assists from 600 in the NHL.