A five-game winning streak on the road takes the Toronto Maple Leafs (2nd in Atlantic Division) to Detroit, where the local Red Wings (3rd in Atlantic) remain with a view to extend their current win run to five fixtures.
The current point streak of the Toronto Maple Leafs (13-5-5) stretched out to eight fixtures (6-0-2) after the team went 3-0-0 on its ongoing four-date road trip following a 4-1 triumph against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. Auston Matthews (10 goals, 24 points this year) banked a snipe and two assists, while Mitch Marner (6 goals, 27 points) recorded a marker and a helper to extend his point run to 16 contests (5 goals, 17 assists) – the longest in the NHL this season. William Nylander (12 goals, 24 points) and Pontus Holmberg (2 goals, 3 points) also tallied for the Leafs, who are riding a five-game winning streak on the road.
Goalie Erik Kallgren (3-2-4 for the ongoing campaign with a 2.67 GAA and a .898 save percentage) made 25 saves on Saturday, but is expected to free up the crease for Matt Murray ah ead of the trip to Detroit. Murray, who has posted a 4-1-1 total for the rolling year with a 2.51 GAA and a .921 save percentage, is 5-4-0 against the Red Wings in past encounters with a 2.57 GAA and a .906 save percentage. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, are sitting 15th in least goals scored per game this season (3.00), 4th in least goals allowed on average (2.57), 8th in power play (24.3%; 18-for-74) and 18th in penalty kill (78.4%; 58-for-74).