LEAFS NOTES: Pressure building for GM … Kallgren, Leafs’ determination a winning recipe … GameNight Preds

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Auston Matthews acknowledged on Friday that the days leading up to the National Hockey League trade deadline are always “a weird time.”

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We think it’s going to be weirder if Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas doesn’t get something done to keep up with what is going on around the Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

On Friday, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired winger Brandon Hagel, a player who had drawn interest from the Leafs, from the Chicago Blackhawks for a package that included two first-round draft picks. Tampa gave up a lot to get Hagel, but the goal for Lightning GM Julien BriseBois is to try to win the Stanley Cup for the third year in a row, and not get caught up in what losing those picks might mean for the team in the coming years. Having a couple of Cup rings sitting in a safe deposit box can give a guy that kind of swagger.

The Lightning acquisition came two days after the Florida Panthers bolstered its blue line with the addition of defenseman Ben Chiarot from Montreal.

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The Leafs continue to be linked to a number of defensemen including Mark Giordano, Hampus Lindholm, Jacob Middleton and Justin Braun, but the deadline is not getting any further away.

If Dubas stands pat — though we don’t think he will — the Leafs have belief in themselves.

“You never really know what to expect,” Matthews said. “When it gets down to crunch time, that’s when all of the big trades start to swing around.

“I think everybody in here is really confident in our group and likes our group. We’ve had a few ups and downs this season and we have bounced back and regrouped when things haven’t been going our way or going well. These challenges make you better in the long run.”

WINNING FORMULA

For Sheldon Keefe, a couple of factors will be key as the Leafs look to build off two wins when they play in Nashville against the Predators on Saturday.

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One is the goaltending of Erik Kallgren, who will get his third NHL start after he aced the first two. The other will be the determined manner in which the Leafs played through the crucial stages in victories against Dallas and Carolina.

“That’s two third periods where we’ve had leads and out-chanced the opposition,” Keefe said. “There’s something to be said with how we kept playing and kept pushing, but also how defending and locking down the neutral zone and breaking out efficiently leads to offense and chances to go the other way.

“The way our team has dug in, it has served as a great example for us of what we’re capable of. That’s what we’ve been asking for.

“It’s not just the structure and the commitment to it, but it’s more physicality, finishing plays quicker so we can get the puck back quicker.”

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Then there is Kallgren’s style. He’s not swimming in his crease from him, keeping his fingers crossed that he gets enough of each shot to make a save. His confidence is clear in the way he does his job, which he carries over to his teammates. He’s not Petr Mrazek.

“He plays the top of this crease,” Keefe said of Kallgren. “Some rebounds are staying alive, but he’s finding ways to get to the next puck. He’s seeing the puck well through traffic. Those are signs of a confident goalie who is trusting his instincts and his abilities and what he’s trained all these years for.

“The players have rallied around it and have helped him out and that’s what we’ve been talking about. The players have a duty to do a job in front of the goalie, no matter who’s in net. And they’ve done that for Kallgren.”

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LOOSE LEAFS

The respect that the Leafs have for Predators captain Roman Josi, as you would think, is quite high. “He drives play for that team,” Matthews said. “He’s elite in so many different aspects. He jumps in the play, skates extremely well. His hockey IQ from him, I find, is next level. Playing against him is never easy.” Strangely enough, Josi has just four points (one goal and three assists) in 13 career games against the Leafs, tied for his lowest output against any NHL team … Matthews has hit the post eight times this season, most among Leafs and one more than Captain John Tavares. Prior to Friday, Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski had hit the post 10 times, most in the NHL, followed by Patrick Kane of Chicago and Kyle Connor of Winnipeg, at nine. Matthews and Oliver Bjorkstrand of Columbus were next at eight.

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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 39-17-5 at NASHVILLE PREDATORS 35-22-4

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

WHY WATCH?

Erik Kallgren’s next test

The fans can be rather boisterous in Smashville, and it will be intriguing to see how goalie Erik Kallgren handles that in his first start on the road for the Maple Leafs. Given his desire for him, it should not be an issue. The Leafs won the other meeting with the Predators this season, as Jack Campbell made 24 saves in a 3-0 shutout in Toronto on Nov. 16. The Predators lost in Philadelphia on Thursday, but have been playing good hockey, winning five of their previous six.

LEADER POINTS

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

GP GA PTS +/-

Austin Matthews 56 45 32 77 +10

Mitch Marner 52 24 41 65 +13

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John Tavares 60 20 38 58 -4

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

GP GA PTS +/-

Roman Josi 59 17 55 72 +20

Matt Duchenne 57 31 30 61 +10

Philip Forsberg 48 32 24 56 +13

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power play– TOR: 29.4% (1st), NASH: 23.8% (10th)

Penalty kill — TOR: 84.8% (5th), NASH: 80.1% (14th)

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE PREDATORS

1. Roman Josi won the Norris Trophy two years ago and the 31-year-old is in the thick of the race again. He’s the only NHL defenseman who leads his team in scoring, he leads all defensemen in points and he has set personal highs in goals, assists and points. Before games on Friday, Josi was leading the NHL in scoring in March with 19 points in eight games.

2. As he closes in on 900 career NHL games (he’s at 884), 31-year-old Matt Duchene has rebounded after recording 13 points in 34 games last season. The native of Haliburton, Ont., He has a career-high 31 goals and is on an eight-game point streak.

3. If the Leafs are able to build a nice cushion through two periods, they should come out of the game OK. Nashville this season has come back to win six times in the third period, but all have been after erasing a one-goal deficit, never by two or more.

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