The Maple Leafs are looking for a bounce-back game after hitting the lowest point of their season so far, a blowout loss to league laughingstock the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.The Predators are one of the early surprises of the 2014-15 season, sitting third in the West with a 11-4-2 record under new head coach Peter Laviolette. It's been a pattern of sorts for Laviolette-coached teams - in first full seasons in Carolina and Philadelphia, his teams went to the Cup Finals after missing the playoffs the season previous. Without really knowing it to be true, one could forge a narrative that Laviolette's motivation shtick works like kindling - throughout his career his teams have shown an initial burst of great results, but an inability to sustain it year over year.
Laviolette's teams have been known as high scoring over the years, especially in Philadelphia, but that hasn't been how the Predators have been earning their victories in the early going - the Preds are sticking to tradition with low-scoring wins to the tune of 2.14 goals per game (23rd) and a remarkable 2.00 goals-against-per game (2nd). Pekka RInne, who will start tonight, is 11-3-1 with a 1.92 GAA and .929 SV%. Goals are unlikely to come easy to the Leafs tonight.
Curiously, it looks like Carlyle is back to stubbornly sticking by his top line despite major issues with that line defensively and cheating on the breakout versus Buffalo. This line will explode for multi-goal outings every few games and win over hearts, but it seemed obvious long ago that it is not coming out on the right end of the goal difference or possession battle at evens overall due to a lack of defensive acumen and too much offense-first instinct.
Jonathan Bernier will start in goal for the Leafs; not particularly surprising given Reimer's off game in Buffalo. Nashville Predators
Forwards Filip Forsberg - Mike Ribeiro - James Neal (8-12-20) - (4-10-14) - (9-5-14) Matt Cullen - Derek Roy - Craig Smith (2-3-5) - (0-7-7) - (6-3-9) Colin Wilson - Calle Jarnkrok - Olli Jokinen (1-3-4) - (0-1-1) - (0-0-0) Eric Nystrom - Paul Gaustad - Taylor Beck (2-2-4) - (1-3-4) - (1-1-2)
Defence Roman Josi - Shea Weber (2-6-8) - (5-3-8) Mattias Ekholm - Ryan Ellis (0-5-0) - (1-6-7) Anton Volchenkov - Seth Jones (0-2-2) - (0-4)
Goal Pekka Rinne - 11W, 3L, 1OT, .929sv% Carter Hutton
Scratched: Gabriel Bourque, Victor BartleyInjured: Mike Fisher (Achilles tendon), Viktor Stalberg (knee) Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel (7-8-15) - (6-9-15) - (11-11-22) Daniel Winnik - Nazem Kadri - David Clarkson (1-6-7) - (4-4-8) - (5-1-6) Leo Komarov - Peter Holland - Mike Santorelli (1-10-11) - (4-4-8) - (2-6-8) Richard Panik - Trevor Smith - Josh Leivo (3-1-4) - (0-1-1) - (1-0-1)
Defence Dion Phaneuf - Cody Franson (1-7-8) - (3-9-12) Jake Gardiner - Roman Polak (1-3-4) - (2-1-3) Morgan Rielly - Stephane Robidas (2-5-7) - (0-3-3)
Goal Jonathan Bernier - 5W 4A 2OT sv% .920 James Reimer
Scratched: Matt FrattinInjured: David Booth (broken foot), Joffrey Lupul (broken hand), Brandon Kozun (ankle) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Nashville Predators
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