Toronto @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2019 ) Detroit 0, Toronto 5

The Toronto Maple Leafs look to turn things around after allowing 15 goals combined in three consecutive losses when they visit the improving Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night for an Atlantic Division battle. The Maple Leafs coughed up a three-goal lead in a shootout loss against Montreal to begin the streak, fell 3-2 versus reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis on Monday and were routed by Tampa Bay 7-3 on Thursday.

“We’ve got to come back to work and realize the way we played isn’t good enough,” Toronto captain John Tavares told reporters after the latest loss. “We have to be a lot better, execute much more consistently and understand what’s going to bring us success and not feed into their type of game and their type of skill, the type of plays they can make.” The Maple Leafs gained at least a point in the last six meetings (4-0-2) against the Red Wings, who spoiled Montreal’s home opener Thursday with a 4-2 victory that continued their promising start (3-1-0). Detroit has missed the playoffs in three straight seasons after a 25-year postseason streak, but forward Anthony Mantha (six goals) has led the way for a young group of forwards in the first four games of the campaign. “We’re sick of losing,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told the Detroit Free Press. “So if you’re sick of losing, you make choices on a daily basis to do things that are going to separate yourself. We can separate ourselves with our work ethic, we can separate ourselves with our sacrifice.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC (Toronto), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (2-2-1): Auston Matthews notched his sixth goal of the season in the Tampa Bay loss to tie Mantha for second in the league entering Friday and tops the team with seven points, one better than fellow forward Mitch Marner (two goals, four assists). Tavares recorded his first goal of the season Thursday and linemate Kasperi Kapanen added his first point (assist), but the wing is a minus-6 through five contests. Tyson Barrie, acquired from Colorado in the offseason, has four assists to start his run with Toronto, although the offensively-gifted defenseman was a minus-4 on Thursday.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (3-1-0): Mantha, the 20th overall pick in the 2013 draft, had a career-best 25 goals last season and has carried that over while unleashing 21 shots in the first four contests. “Just my confidence right now,” Mantha told reporters of his early-season hot streak. “My linemates are feeding me properly and right now it’s going in so I just need to keep shooting.” Mantha’s linemates Dylan Larkin (one goal, five assists, plus-6 rating) and Tyler Bertuzzi (three, three, plus-5) are also off to strong starts while fellow forward Luke Glendening scored his second of the season Thursday as 10 players had a point.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit D Danny DeKeyser boasts four assists after recording two Thursday and a plus-5 rating in the early going.

2. Toronto G Frederik Andersen gave up seven goals Thursday, but is 7-0-1 with a .918 save percentage lifetime versus Detroit.

3. The Red Wings are off to a strong start despite a power play that has converted twice in 14 chances.

PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 5, Red Wings 2