GAMENIGHT: Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals


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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 51-21-7 at WASHINGTON CAPITALS 44-23-11

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Sunday, 7 p.m., TV: Sportsnet Radio: AM 590

WHY WATCH?

going for three

A tired group of Maple Leafs will go for the season sweep against the Capitals, having won the first two meetings, outscoring Washington 12-6. The Leafs were planning to go with Erik Kallgren in goal keeping with an alternate starting schedule, with the attempt of keeping Jack Campbell more fresh for the playoffs. It’s the end of the final back-to-back set in 2021-22 for the Leafs, who are 6-4-2 in the second game. It’s the Capitals’ first home game after five in a row on the road.

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LEADER POINTS

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

GP GA PTS +/-

Auston Matthews 71 58 44 102 +18

Mitch Marner 70 35 61 95 +22

William Nylander 77 32 44 76 -13

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

GP GA PTS +/-

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Alex Ovechkin 76 50 40 90 +9

Yevgeny Kuznetsov 75 24 53 77 +11

John Carlson 74 16 53 59 +16

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power play — TOR: 27.5% (1st), WAS: 19.8% (21st)

Penalty kill — TOR: 82.2% (7th), WAS: 81.8% (9th)

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE CAPITALS

1. A five-game trip got off to a bad start when Washington lost 7-3 in Toronto on April 14. The Caps rebounded nicely, going 3-0-1 in the next four games, ending the trip with a 2-0 win in Arizona on Friday. Alex Ovechkin scored four goals in those road games to reach 50 for the ninth time in his NHL career.

2. Ovechkin has 74 points (41 goals and 33 assists) in 52 career games against the Leafs, and has more points against only five other NHL teams (Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg/Atlanta). The Leafs have kept him quiet recently, however, holding Ovechkin to one goal and two assists in the past four meetings.

3. Whoever draws the Caps in the first round won’t be intimidated at Capital One Arena. Washington’s home record of 19-15-5 was the worst among the 16 NHL teams in a playoff spot.


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