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Toronto Maple Leafs Look to End California Trip on a High Note

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 7: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks battles against Travis Dermott #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 7, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Ducks 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 7: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks battles against Travis Dermott #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 7, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Ducks 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to finish off their California road trip positively and end a two-game losing streak with a win over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs California trip hasn’t been taking shape like they expected.

On Tuesday, they dropped a very winnable game against the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-2.

On Thursday, they played much better, but ultimately lost in the shootout after a scoreless game against the LA Kings. It was the Toronto Maple Leafs first shutout loss of the season, and to the worst team in the West nonetheless.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ducks

Friday’s game in Anaheim is crucial for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are still trying to secure their playoff spot.

Luckily, they still have a five point lead in the standings over the Florida Panthers, who despite being given every opportunity to close the gap, have been on a four game losing streak.

Nevertheless, three points on this California trip would be much better than just one, so the Leafs need to win this game against the Ducks.

Jack Campbell will get the start in net on Friday. He started last against the Sharks on Tuesday.

Although he let in five goals, the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive woes were their downfall, leaving him out to dry. Don’t tell that to Campbell however, as he’s as humble as they get. He is now 3-1-1 with the Leafs holding a .913 save percentage and a 2.85 GAA.

The last time the Leafs faced the Ducks was on Feb. 7, which ended with Toronto taking the game 5-4 in overtime. The Leafs will look to repeat that success, which may be hard coming off a back-to-back.

Toronto is still suffering from a few injuries. Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Cody Ceci, Ilya Mikheyev and Andreas Johnsson will still be out of the lineup, however some of themy are looking closer to returning.

The Opponent: Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks’ season hasn’t been going the way they planned, sitting second last in the West. However, they’ve been able to string together some nice wins lately, going 3-2-0 in their last 5 games. The Leafs have also won the last five matchups against the Ducks.

John Gibson will start for the Ducks. Although he’s one of the best goalies in the league, this season has been a step back for him, posting a GAA of 3.05. Still, he’s an elite goaltender who the Leafs have to try and figure out as soon as possible.

The Ducks are also dealing with their fair share of injuries, mainly with their blue-line looking extra thin. The Leafs will be looking to take advantage of Anaheim’s deficits in any way possible.

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The Leafs will do whatever they can to close this trip out with a happy ending. Whether they get back in the win column or not, we’ll just have to see. The Leafs face the Ducks at 10 p.m. ET.

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