GAME DAY Red Wings at Maple Leafs

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GAME INFO

Red Wings 4-2-1, 3rd in the Atlantic Division

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at Maple Leafs, 3-4-1, 5th in the Atlantic.

Tonight, 7 p.m., Scotiabank Arena

TV: Sportsnet, Radio: FAN 590

Headline: Hockeytown back on the map

After three years of first-round eliminations, then the past five without a playoff spot at all, fortunes could be changing in Detroit. A good start, in which theyâ€™ve won a few tight games, has given coach Jeff Blashill some optimism and kept the heat off after general manager Steve Yzerman bucked public sentiment to go in another direction and keep Blashill another year.

The play of Dylan Larkin, who had the come-from-behind overtime winner earlier this week against Washington, fits that trend, as well as the youthful Wings being the divisionâ€™s best shot blocking team prior to Fridayâ€™s home game against Florida.

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Points leaders

Toronto

GP G A P

William Nylander 8 3 3 6 -1

John Tavares 8 2 2 4 -3

Michael Bunting 8 2 2 4 -1

Detroit

Tyler Bertuzzi 6 6 3 9 +8

Dylan Larkin 6 3 5 8 +6

Lucas Raymond 7 4 4 8 +5

Three things about the Red Wings

1. The Leafs will face the leagueâ€™s top two scoring rookies in Raymond and German-born Moritz Seider, the latter tied with Anaheimâ€™s Jamie Drysdale for the freshman lead in time on ice per game (21:51).

2. Toronto will be spared from shadowing Wings leading point man Bertuzzi, whose refusal to get vaccinated leaves him unable to play games in Canada for a second time this year.

3. Initial plans were for Detroit to use Alex Nedeljkovic in net Friday in a non-divisional match against the Panthers, which likely means Thomas Greiss versus Toronto. Petr Mrazek is back in the Toronto net after a two-week groin injury layoff to face his draft team.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Power play

Toronto 12.0% (26th)

Detroit 14.8% (23rd)

Penalty kill

Toronto 85.2% (10th)

Detroit 72.4% (27th)

lhornby@postmedia.com

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