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game preview

Maple Leafs at Sharks preview

Toronto eyes fourth straight victory; Thornton to play 1,100th game with San Jose

by Ross McKeon / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

MAPLE LEAFS (35-23-8) at SHARKS (28-33-4)

10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, NBCSCA, SNO, NHL.TV

 

The Game

The Toronto Maple Leafs look to extend their winning streak to four games and solidify their hold on third place in the Atlantic Division when they visit the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Tuesday.

The Maple Leafs, who have won three straight after going 2-4-0 in their previous six games, are nine points behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic and five points ahead of the fourth-place Florida Panthers.

Goalie Jack Campbell will start for Toronto; he made 25 saves in his last start, a 4-2 win at the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 15.

Joe Thornton will play in his 1,100th game with the Sharks, who look to win their third straight following a five-game losing streak. The center is three games shy of tying Scott Stevens (1,635) for ninth place on the NHL all-time list.

Goalie Martin Jones will make his third consecutive start for San Jose; he made 30 saves in a 5-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

 

Players to watch

Maple Leafs center John Tavares has seven points (three goals, four assists) in a five-game point streak and 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 14 games against San Jose.

Sharks forward Marcus Sorensen has four points (one goal, three assists) in a three-game point streak.

 

They said it 

"We wanted to get Jack involved. … he's comfortable in California. He's won a game here in San Jose this season." -- Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe on starting goalie Jack Campbell

"Toronto is very similar to Pittsburgh in their systems, personnel and how they like to play. The young guys are paying attention, they're not just going out and playing anymore. They're playing more on instincts and not overthinking things." -- Sharks coach Bob Boughner

 

Maple Leafs projected lineup

Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- Mitchell Marner

William Nylander -- John Tavares -- Alexander Kerfoot

Kyle Clifford -- Jason Spezza -- Kasperi Kapanen

Pierre Engvall -- Frederik Gauthier -- Denis Malgin

Martin Marincin -- Tyson Barrie

Travis Dermott -- Justin Holl

Calle Rosen -- Timothy Liljegren

Jack Campbell

Frederik Andersen

Scratched: Rasmus Sandin

Injured: Morgan Rielly (fractured foot), Jake Muzzin (fractured hand), Cody Ceci (ankle), Ilya Mikheyev (wrist laceration), Andreas Johnsson (knee) 

 

Sharks projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Logan Couture -- Noah Gregor

Timo Meier -- Joe Thornton -- Kevin Labanc

Marcus Sorensen -- Joel Kellman -- Dylan Gambrell   

Melker Karlsson -- Antti Suomela -- Stefan Noesen

Radim Simek -- Brent Burns

Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Mario Ferraro

Brandon Davidson -- Tim Heed

Martin Jones

Aaron Dell

Scratched: Lean Bergmann, Alexander True

Injured: Tomas Hertl (knee), Jacob Middleton (ankle), Dalton Prout (concussion), Erik Karlsson (broken thumb)

 

Status report

Defensemen Rielly and Ceci, and Mikhevey, a forward, each skated, but none will play. Rielly and Ceci could each return next week. … Melker Karlsson returns after missing four games with a lower-body injury. … Davidson will make his San Jose debut after being acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Feb. 24.

 

Stat pack

Matthews has nine points (seven goals, two assists) in six games against San Jose. … Burns has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 19 games against Toronto.

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