The Avalanche vs Maple Leafs game is setting up to be an entertaining game at Ball Arena on Monday. Also, a long-awaited night in Detroit, continued embarrassment in New Jersey, and a one-sided game in San Jose.
All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — January 12.
Colorado Hockey Now
The Avs could match their franchise-best home winning streak tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s an intriguing matchup, given that the Leafs look much stronger than they did in the first two months of the season. Toronto is 7-0-2 in its last 9 games. I’ll get into it more when I post my pregame notes following morning skate, but the Maple Leafs’ season turned around after firing Marc Savard around Christmas.
An assistant coach getting axed midseason is a rarity in this league, but it has happened before. Savard was running Toronto’s atrocious power play. But since Mike Sullivan took over, Toronto is operating at 35% on the man-advantage, which is third-best in the league since Dec. 23.
Just thought I’d drop that little piece of information here.
Also, it appears Mackenzie Blackwood could return tonight. We’ll find out later this morning.
Around The NHL
New Jersey Hockey Now: In case you thought the Devils’ recent stretch couldn’t get any worse. How about a loss to the last-place Winnipeg Jets?
Philly Hockey Now: Injuries haven’t been kind to the Flyers in recent weeks.
Detroit Hockey Now: Monday is going to be a historic and long-overdue night in Hockeytown. Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 will be raised to the rafters.
San Jose Hockey Now:Â The Golden Knights came to town and waxed the Sharks. But Tomas Hertl, who spent more than a decade in San Jose, spoke highly of this new Sharks core.
