Music: {allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (32-23-8) at RANGERS (33-26-3)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

{allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (32-23-8) at RANGERS (33-26-3)

ESPN Fantasy Baseball

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

7:00 PM ET

MAPLE LEAFS (32-23-8) at RANGERS (33-26-3)

TV: TSN, RDS2, MSG PLUS

Last 10: Toronto 5-2-3; New York 6-4-0

Season series: The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to finally beat the New York Rangers when they meet for the third and final time Wednesday. The Rangers dismantled Toronto 7-1 on Jan. 4 and won 2-1 in a shootout on Dec. 23. Toronto has not won at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 5, 2011.

Big story: Both teams are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and looking at a lengthy stretch on the road. Toronto plays six of its next seven on the road and the Rangers will play seven of nine away from MSG after this game.

Team Scope:

Maple Leafs: Looking to crack the top three spots in the Atlantic Division, the Maple Leafs still have yet to win since the end of the 2014 Sochi Olympics. They dropped consecutive overtime games to the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens before falling 2-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

Toronto did not practice Tuesday and is still looking to manage its cap situation as center Dave Bolland inches his way back into the lineup after missing 48 games and counting with a lacerated tendon. It's not known when he'll return, but it's clear the Maple Leafs could use more scoring depth. U.S. Olympians Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk have scored three of the team's past four goals and the team's loss to Columbus made their record 4-17-2 when Kessel fails to record a point.

On the eve of the NHL Trade Deadline, the struggling Maple Leafs were looking to block out any potential rumors.

"The trade deadline is always a factor in any hockey player's life. Having played for a number of years, it was one of the situations you remember," coach Randy Carlyle said after the loss Monday. "It's not a lot of fun being a player at this time of year, especially in today's Twitter world. There's a lot more to it than when I was traded in 1984. I don't think they had Twitter then."

Rangers: Like the Maple Leafs, New York was winning before the Olympic break but has now dropped consecutive games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. Derek Dorsett returned from a broken fibula in the 4-2 loss in Philadelphia on Monday. After being inserted on the fourth line with Brian Boyle and Daniel Carcillo, Dorsett was scratched Sunday against Boston in favor of Dominic Moore.

Moore could remain on the team's fourth line against Toronto. The trio was playing very well with him alongside Boyle and Carcillo and the veteran forward scored twice the last time these teams met.

Despite losing linemate Mats Zuccarello, who suffered a fractured hand playing in the Sochi Olympics, center Derick Brassard has managed to stay hot for the Rangers with two goals in three games since the season's resumption. J.T. Miller, who took Zuccarello's spot on the third line with Brassard and Benoit Pouliot, has fared well with a goal and an assist in three games.

Who's hot: Mason Raymond has three goals in his past five games for Toronto and van Riemsdyk has two goals and five points in three games since returning from Sochi. Kessel went pointless against Columbus, but still has 13 goals and 31 points in his past 18 games. … For the Rangers, Derek Stepan has four points (all assists) in three games since representing the United States at the Olympics.

Injury report: Toronto is without forward Colton Orr (undisclosed) and Bolland. … Zuccarello remains out for the Rangers.

Team Stats