Music: {allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (8-13-5) at BLUES (15-7-4)

Friday, December 4, 2015

{allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS (8-13-5) at BLUES (15-7-4)

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Saturday, December 5, 2015

7:00 PM ET

MAPLE LEAFS (8-13-5) at BLUES (15-7-4)

TV: CBC, FS-MW

Season series: Alexander Steen had a goal and three assists for the St. Louis Blues in their two victories against the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Blues won 6-1 at Air Canada Centre on March 7 and 3-0 on Jan. 17 at Scottrade Center. David Backes had a goal and two assists and Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist for St. Louis. Goalie Brian Elliott allowed one goal on 51 shots in two games. Goalie Jonathan Bernier took both losses for Toronto, making 44 saves on 50 shots.

Maple Leafs team scope: Toronto recalled goalie Antoine Bibeau and assigned forward Rich Clune to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Goalie James Reimer, who made 27 saves in a 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, is day-to-day with a lower-body injury that forced him to miss two games prior to Thursday. Bibeau will likely back up Garret Sparks on Saturday. The Maple Leafs will be looking for their first win of a three-game trip through the Central Division that's thus far yielded losses to the Winnipeg Jets and Wild; they'll play for the third time in four days. The Maple Leafs, who took Friday off, are 1-4-1 in their past six games and have scored eight goals. "I just think you keep grinding," coach Mike Babcock said on the team website. "... I'm a big believer in you just stick with the process. You do good things, good things will happen to you over time." A good place to start would be scoring first. Toronto is 3-10-3 when allowing the first goal. Toronto will be looking for its first win at Scottrade Center since a 3-2 shootout victory on Nov. 10, 2011.

Blues team scope: St. Louis will turn back to goalie Jake Allen after Elliott made 24 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss at the New York Islanders on Friday. "We really played a good team game tonight," defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who scored the Blues' lone goal, said in comments tweeted by the team. "I really wish we could have gotten Elliott the win. He really deserves it." The Blues have three wins in their past 10 games and all have come against Eastern Conference foes; it will be the Blues' ninth consecutive game against an Eastern Conference opponent. St. Louis lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods. Rookie defenseman Colton Parayko avoided serious injury in the third period when he left the game after his right leg buckled underneath him in a corner battle; he left briefly but returned to finish the game.

Team Stats