Carolina Hurricanes plays host to Toronto Maple Leafs in the first game of the day - NHL Previews
The first game of Thursday will be hosted by Carolina Hurricanes as they are up against Toronto Maple Leafs.
The game is very important for both teams as they look to move into the playoff cut where things are still very tight and close.
Both teams need to score important points to keep pace with the ever so close battle for the playoffs, heating up even further.
While doing so, they will be looking to let the other team not win so that they don’t lose ground on the teams that are in the playoff picture already.
This will be the fourth and final scheduled meeting which is going to take place between the two teams.
Out of the two games that have already taken place, Hurricanes won the first two, 4-3 and 6-4, respectively, while Maple Leafs managed to win their most recent meeting by 3-0.
Maple Leafs is eight points behind the final playoff spot and needs to win if they want to keep hopes of playoffs alive.
However, Maple Leafs will have to do this without the assistance of their star player, Colby Armstrong, who injured himself in the last game against Tampa Bay Lightning.
Nazem Kadri will be playing for Maple Leafs as they are in a do or die situation as they square off against Hurricanes.
"All you have to do is look at our record with Colby in the lineup (25-19-6 and 13-3-2 when he gets a point)," Wilson said. "It's been, unfortunately, one of those years for him, breaking things, a mysterious eye ailment, stuff like that. There's not much
we can do now. There are other people who have to fill in for him."
James Reimer, goalie of Maple Leafs, is one of the main reasons that Maple Leafs still has a chance of making it into the playoff cut.
He made 12 consecutive appearances during which he made 29 saves but unfortunately Leafs lost to Lightning by 6-2 in the end.
"I could probably use (being tired) as an excuse,'' Reimer said "Even if that was the case, I'm a professional athlete and you have to find ways to stay focused and keep your head in the game and keep your body at a competitive level.''
Both teams have played 70 games during the course of the season so far out of which the Leafs have won 30 games in regulation time and 10 games in overtime to score 70 points.
On the other hand, Hurricanes have won 32 games in regulation time and 10 games in overtime to score a total of 74 points.
Hurricanes needed a win and this is what they managed to achieve against Sabres in their last game on Tuesday. They managed to score the only goal which stood till the very end.
"We feel we have arguably the best goaltender in the world," Hurricanes’ coach, Paul Maurice, said. "For a one-goal hockey game, there was lots going on."
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