The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t have Dion Phaneuf for the next two games -- and as we wrote yesterday, it should be interesting to see how they fare without their suspended captain -- but they will have forward Joffrey Lupul back in the lineup tonight versus visiting Los Angeles.
Lupul, who’s missed the last seven games with a groin injury, has eight goals and seven assists in 22 games this season. The 30-year-old should be a nice addition for a team with just two regulation wins in its last 17 games. The Leafs do remain four points clear of the Rangers in the race for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but there’s obvious concern about the team’s play.
In one of the more remarkable statistics in the NHL, Toronto has been outshot in all but four of its 31 games. On average, the Leafs are surrendering a league-high 37.1 shots per contest, over 10 shots more than they’re averaging themselves (26.7).