LEAFS NOTES: To sweep their trip, Toronto has to beat Vancouver hex
The Maple Leafs must appear dull as dishwater in Delta as they arrived in British Columbia Friday, compared to the news-making Canucks.
But do not for a second believe the multi-distractions of trades, contracts, Quinn Hughes’ health, Elias Pettersson’s slump, internal intrigue and playoff positioning will veer Vancouver from its appointed task. They badly want to lay another beating on Toronto and its fans, who are sure to filter into Rogers Arena Saturday night.
Without counting the stinker the Leafs turned in a month ago when the road-weary Canucks won 3-0 with surprising ease, they’ll be looking for an eighth straight win at home against Toronto and 11th in the past 12 meetings.
Craig Berube is hoping his team has both long and short memories, definitely to atone for getting booed off Bay St. in January, but remembering how well they’ve played this week. Saturday is a chance to not only take away the Canucks’ bragging rights, but sweep the Leafs first ever four-game Western Canada road trip since Seattle was added to the schedule.
“That (loss) was awhile ago, but we do take stuff out of there,” Berube told media after a quick practice at the University of British Columbia. “That was a low-event game for sure. We have to definitely create more. We weren’t good enough.”
With a 4 p.m. local puck drop, Berube didn’t see the need to stay on the ice long and had kept Thursday’s forward lines in place. That’s Max Domi with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies in a continuing attempt to get Domi in on some points and another mix of Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander to sort out what should be a dynamite trio.
