FLYERS (25-21-11) at MAPLE LEAFS (20-27-9)
TV: 7 p.m. ET; CBC, CSN-PH, NHL.TV
TORONTO - Peter Holland sees every position switch as a new opportunity to prove himself as a top-six NHL forward.
The 25-year-old natural center will fill in at right wing on the Toronto Maple Leafs top line for suspended Leo Komarov against the Philadelphia Flyers at Air Canada Centre on Saturday.
Komarov was suspended three games by the NHL on Friday for a check to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh on Thursday.
Holland has spent time playing both left and right wing as well as center at various times this season.
"I have been moved around a lot this year, but I think it can be a good thing when you can play all three forward positions," said Holland, who has eight goals and 22 points in 51 games. "It can do your career some good. I just show up and just play hockey wherever I might be that night."
Holland will play on a line with center Nazem Kadri and left wing Michael Grabner. He said he looks forward to the challenge.
"When you get the chance to play with Naz, he's an offensive player, so you just try to get him the puck and then get open to get it back from him," Holland said. "You try to create a lot offensively for our team, but at the same time be good on the defensive side of the puck."
Holland, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, said his role changes depending on what position he is playing.
"It is a pretty big difference moving from center to the wing," Holland said. "You go to different spots on the ice, for sure. You are not as defensively relied upon when you play the wing. That said, you have to make sure you are doing the right things because if you are the first guy back in the zone, you have to assume the center's responsibility until the center can switch with you."
Toronto coach Mike Babcock praised Holland's talent, but said for the player to take the next step in his career, he needs to find a way to ratchet his effort up to a more consistent level.
"He is a big guy with skill," Babcock said. "Skill is great, but an elite drive train that pushes you over the top each and every night is another thing. I talk to Pete about it all the time. I think he can score in tight, he can shoot the puck, he has some toughness to him and he's got lots of ability. Now you've got to learn to do it every single day at an elite level and without prodding.
"Everyone thinks superstars have real good skill, but superstars have more heart and more soul and more drive train than others. That's what separates them."
The Maple Leafs are playing their second of four straight home games. They have lost two in a row and five of their past six.
The Flyers, who lost 3-2 in a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, have lost three of their past four games.
"I think we let the game slip through our hands a little bit," said rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisberere. "We were all over them all night. Their goalie [Mike Condon] played well."
Gostisbehere, the Flyers third-round pick (No. 78) in 2012, has thrust himself into the Calder Trophy race with 11 goals and 33 points in 39 games. He has a 14-game point streak, with four goals and 13 assists in that span.
Here are the projected lineups:
FLYERS
Brayden Schenn - Claude Giroux - Wayne Simmonds
R.J. Umberger - Nick Cousins - Jakub Voracek
Michael Raffl - Scott Laughton - Matt Read
Chris VandeVelde - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Ryan White
Andrew MacDonald - Shayne Gostisbehere
Injured: Sean Couturier (lower body), Michael Del Zotto (upper body), Jordan Weal (upper body)
Scratched: Sam Gagner, Brandon Manning
MAPLE LEAFS
Michael Grabner - Nazem Kadri - Peter Holland
Colin Greening - Mark Arcobello - PA Parenteau
Shawn Matthias - Nick Spaling - Daniel Winnik
Rich Clune - Byron Froese - Brad Boyes
Martin Marincin - Viktor Loov
Jonathan Bernier
James Reimer
Injured: Stephane Robidas (lower body), Joffrey Lupul (middle body), James van Riemsdyk (foot fracture), Jared Cowen (hip tightness), Josh Leivo (upper body), Tyler Bozak (upper body), Matt Hunwick (lower body).
Scratched: None.
Suspended: Leo Komarov
Status report: Gardiner will play his 300th NHL game … Loov will play his second NHL game…Hunwick is listed as day-to-day.
Who's hot: Schenn has three goals and five points in five games … Umberger has three assists in two games … Parenteau has two goals and four points in three games … Gardiner has two goals and four points in five games … Boyes has points (one goal, three assists) in four consecutive games and needs one more point to reach 500 in his career … Arcobello has three goals and four points in three games.
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