The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to avoid a fourth straight loss when they finish a three-game trip to Utah Hockey Club on Monday in Salt Lake City.
Mitch Marner and John Tavares both made two times in Leaf’s 7-4 loss to Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Captain Auston Matthews chipped in three helpers to expand his score to 12 matches (three goals, 15 assists).
Anthony Stolarz made 27 rescues for Toronto, which is 6-3-1 in the last ten matches. The Netminder is 13-6-3 with a .921 Savings percentage and a 2.33 goal-on average in 24 games this season.
Forward Scott Laughton and defender Brandon Carlo debuted for Toronto in Colorado after being acquired on Friday afternoon before the NHL trade deadline.
“They were doing well. I know (Laughton) was on for a couple of goals against, but overall I didn’t mind him,” said Maple Leaf coach Craig Berube. “I thought Carlo was good.
“It’s not easy, no exercise, (but) they have been around for a long time. It takes some time to form chemistry and just figure everything out.”
Marner has a team -leading 58 assists and 79 points in 62 matches, while William Nylander goes with the leaves with 35 goals.
Toronto edged Utah Hockey Club 3-2 at home in his only other meeting this season.
Monday is Toronto’s first visit to Utah and Leafs players are curious to see how Salt Lake City is like a hockey market. Winless in three straight (0-2-1), leaves-18-11-2 on the road this season-will look back on the right track in a new environment.
“We’ll see what it’s all about, but happy to see how the arena and fan base is,” Marner said.
Utah participates in Monday’s competition after an overtime loss of 4-3 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
Captain Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist, John Marino and Nick Schmaltz also scored and Mikhail Sergichev chipped in two helpers. Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 shots.
Utah Hockey Club, 6-3-1 in its last 10, sits four points back on a wild-card spot in the western conference and is 12-13-6 at Hemis this season.
“We need points at this time,” Utah head coach Andre Tourigny said after Friday’s loss. “It’s a back-to-back. I think we stayed in the hunt, we stayed there and we take it.
“Our team is a young team that must continue to grow. The stretch we are in, the situation we are in, there are adversities. It’s challenging. And we like it. I can see the players embrace it.”
Keller leads Utah with 49 assists and 72 points in 62 matches this season. He and Dylan Guenther share the team with 23 goals.
Vejmelka is 17-16-5 in 40 matches this season, with a .910 Savings percentage and a 2.48 GAA.
On Sunday, NHLPA and the NHL announced that Utah goalkeeper Connor Ingram has entered the player aid program.
Utah recalled goalkeeper Jaxson Stauber from Ahl Affiliate Tucson in a corresponding Roster movement. Stauber has made four starts for Utah this season and published a 2-1-1 record, one .925 Savings percentage and a 2.23 GAA.
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