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Vegas Golden Knights: Three Keys to heaping more misery on the Leafs

By Andrew Steele-Davis

<> at Scotiabank Arena on November 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada.
<> at Scotiabank Arena on November 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. /
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TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 15: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs is pictured during the second period against the Boston Bruins at the Scotiabank Arena on November 15, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 15: Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs is pictured during the second period against the Boston Bruins at the Scotiabank Arena on November 15, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /

3. Get Pucks On Net

Frederik Andersen is expected to get the start in net tonight and the 30-year-old is 9-4-3 this year with a 2.74 Goals Against Average and a .912 Save Percentage.

Not bad at all.

However, the same can’t be said for the Maple Leafs defence which has, quite frankly, stunk the place out so far this season.

Going into tonight’s game, the Toronto Maple Leafs are ranked 23rd in the NHL in Goals Against Per Game (3.41), and they have allowed 23 goals in the last five games alone.

Their blueline is like a sieve and Andersen can be exposed if he’s overworked, which he has been on a plethora of occasions this year.

Tyson Barrie, a summer acquisition from the Colorado Avalanche, has really failed to settle in Toronto and he is the main weak leak on that defense.

So, as a result, the Vegas Golden Knights need to get pucks on net tonight and generate traffic in front of the net.

They have to get to the dirty areas and crash the slot, taking full advantage of one of the worst blue lines in the National Hockey League.

dark. Next. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Leafs: Pregame Info

William Karlsson and Max Pacioretty are both clicking right now, while Mark Stone and Paul Stastny broke out of their respective scoring slumps on Sunday, so the Knights certainly have the offensive firepower to do to Toronto what they did to Calgary on Sunday.

If they can get pucks to the net and get them past Andersen, then this could be another successful night for the Golden Knights.

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