GAMEDAY: Quick stop at home for Maple Leafs against last-place Sharks

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WHEN: Monday, 7:30 p.m.  

TV: Amazon Prime; RADIO: Sportsnet 590    

ODDS

Toronto -146, San Jose +122   

THE BUZZ 

Toronto, 4-1 on Monday Night Prime thus season, makes a brief return home after sweeping a four-game road trip before heading out to U.S. southwest again on Tuesday. The Sharks lost in Ottawa on Saturday night, its eighth straight setback … Toronto will be shooting for its sixth straight win overall, while the 32nd-place Sharks have lost six of their eight by two goals or less … This is the fifth of a seven-game road trip for the Sharks … It’s Sharks defenceman Timothy Liljegren’s first game against his old team. Toronto sent him to the Sharks in late October for defenceman Matt Benning and draft picks. Liljegren had a power play goal on Saturday to give him 10 points in 46 games.   

THE NEWS   

Two more games remain for the Leafs until the trade deadline and they’re expected to welcome back forward Calle Jarnkrok from autumn hernia surgery for this game …  Centre Luke Kunin and defenceman Mario Ferraro are a couple of the names being rumoured among the Sharks at the deadline … Auston Matthews passed Darryl Sittler for second in career Leafs goals on Sunday with his 390th. Matthews needs one power play goal to reach 100 … Anthony Stolarz is expected to get the start in goal for the Leafs.  

THE QUOTE  

“I don’t want to bring up last year, obviously (it) was a struggle as well, but we’re in games right now, we’re right there, a small margin for error.” — Ferraro on the close losses the Sharks have endured this season.  

THE PROJECTED LEAFS LINEUP  

Forwards

Matthew Knies / Auston Matthews / Mitch Marner    

Pontus Holmberg / John Tavares / William Nylander   

Bobby McMann / Max Domi / Nick Robertson or Calle Jarnkrok   
   
Steven Lorentz or Connor Dewar / David Kampf / Alex Steeves or Ryan Reaves  

Defence  

Morgan Rielly / Oliver Ekman-Larsson  

Jake McCabe / Philippe Myers  

Simon Benoit / Connor Timmins  

Goalies    

Anthony Stolarz   

Joseph Woll  

Injuries

Toronto: D Chris Tanev (upper body), LW Max Pacioretty (lower body), D Jani Hakanpaa (knee).  

San Jose:  D Henry Thrun (upper body), RW Nikolai Kovalenko (upper body).  

THE PREDICTION    

Leafs won’t exactly rock at home, given the quick turnaround from Sunday, but they take this one 4-2.