Toronto @ Vancouver preview
Rogers Arena
Last Meeting ( May 1, 2021 ) Vancouver 1, Toronto 5
The first period will be the key for the Vancouver Canucks when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Slow starts have been an ongoing problem for the Canucks and the issue arose again Wednesday in a 6-3 loss to the visiting New York Islanders.
The Canucks gave up the first five goals of the game and trailed 5-1 after the first period. Thatcher Demko replaced Jaroslav Halak in goal after the Islanders scored for the fifth time.
Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau mentioned the players' focus entering games.
"They're not ready to play to start," Boudreau said. "We talk about self-preparation all the time. Coming to the game ready to play. Usually, an NHL game, it's an all-day thing. It's not just coming to the game, putting your skates on and saying ‘Let's go.'"
The Canucks climbed back into the game with two goals in the second period.
"They looked twice as fast as we did in the first period," Boudreau said. "In the second period, we looked a lot faster than them. We've just got to be ready to play."
"We hung (Halak) out to dry," Canucks captain Bo Horvat said. "Obviously, it is unacceptable for us not being ready to go in that game. We knew they were going to come and we weren't ready for it. No excuses. We have to figure out a way to get it done.
The Maple Leafs opened a three-game road trip Thursday with a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Not only did the loss end Toronto's six-game winning streak, but Mitchell Marner also had an eight-game goal-scoring streak stopped despite taking a career-high 10 shots on goal.
The Maple Leafs had a 48-26 advantage in shots on goal in the game and coach Sheldon Keefe was not displeased with the performance.
"I liked a lot about our game today," Keefe said. "I liked a lot about our second period. We got the goal and we let up for a bit there and made mistakes, big mistakes."
After the Maple Leafs scored the first goal of the game in the second period, the Flames scored four straight in the frame and opened the third period with another.
"I thought our guys played hard, I thought we made plays, I thought we controlled the game but when you make those kinds of mistakes you can't win," Keefe said.
Toronto lost Ondrej Kase in the first period after he took a solid check from Calgary's Nikita Zadorov.
"Kase, with his (concussion) history, you'll worry for him," Keefe said after the game. "I don't have much of an update, other than that it seemed like he was doing okay from some of the word around the group. But I haven't talked to him myself nor have I talked to our doctors."
The Maple Leafs were without Wayne Simmonds on Thursday. He stayed in Toronto for the birth of his daughter.
Vancouver's Matt Highmore, who was put on the COVID-19 protocol list on Monday, could return to action Saturday.
The Canucks put forward Justin Dowling on waivers on Thursday.
Toronto's Auston Matthews had an assist on Thursday and is on a six-game points streak (six goals, seven assists).
This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season.
--Field Level Media