NASHVILLE – Move over Maple Leafs, the home team is having its troubles, too.
The Predators need the two points Monday night as much if not more than Toronto, which came to town with one win in six games prior to the NHL all-star break. Nashville is staring up from the bottom of the Central Division.
“With everyone that’s in the mix right now it’s kind of the same thing,” said Preds forward Matt Duchene after morning practice at Bridgestone Arena. “The league gets a lot tougher after the break. Wins are harder to get.
“You look at us on paper, it looks bad, but with the games in hand we have (between one and four on everyone in the division) we have a great opportunity. We put a little streak together, we’re going to be in good shape.”
If there was a silver lining for the Leafs, who stalled at 57 points before the break, it’s that all the teams which had games in hand on them have spent their bullets.
“I think we’re in a great spot,” said Toronto forward Jason Spezza. “We’ve played some good hockey since (new coach) Sheldon Keefe has come. We’ve had a bump in the road here where we don’t love our game, but it’s better to go through that now than in April. We’ve had adversity, we have to come out of it and the only way you’re going to make the playoffs is to play good hockey. Get in there and (it means) you’re playing good.”
The Leafs welcome back Jake Muzzin on defence Monday after he broke his foot a month ago, re-uniting him in a shutdown role with Justin Holl, while right winger Trevor Moore comes back to the fourth line after a double whammy of knee and concussion problems.
Muzzin, a Western Conference veteran with the L.A. Kings, knows all about the Predators’ template of strong defence, even with the coaching change earlier this month from Peter Laviolette to John Hynes. Muzzin’s only action was a 27-minute re-hab game with the Marlies on Friday.
“I was going to feel like (bleep) no matter what,” laughed Muzzin of agreeing to the mini-demotion. “That was a good way to get it out.
“(The team) wants to be pushing and rolling at playoff time. To go through some adversity now, fight through it and come out with a playoff spot makes a team stronger for sure.”
Frederik Andersen is expected in goal for the Leafs, Pekka Rinne for the Preds, with the latter shutting out the Leafs twice last season.
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