The Leafs expect a “tough game” from the Kings after giving up eight goals to Ottawa

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Things could go one of two ways when the Los Angeles Kings arrive at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.

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Either the visitors are still reeling from Monday's 8-7 overtime loss in Ottawa and will be an easy pick, or after a day of rest, they'll be set for their end to be a no-fly zone for Maple Leaf incursions. The Kings practiced in Toronto on Tuesday.

“I've already talked to the guys,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said after Tuesday's practice. We can't even look at it (eight goals conceded). They're a hungry team coming here, they've been on the road (a grueling five-game Eastern tour to start the season). They are a good team, big and heavy, so we have to be prepared.

“It will be a difficult match.”

Of course, the respected Kings attack scored seven goals. Anthony Stolarz, who knows the team well from his time on the highway in Anaheim, will likely start scoring for Toronto.

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“It was definitely a close competition with only 45 minutes separating them,” Stolarz said. “Always a fierce fighter, a little physical, a little dirty, but knowing them and some of their fighters will help me know what to expect.”

The Kings, who are the first Western Conference team to face Toronto this year, won 4-1 here last October, while the Leafs eliminated them 3-0 in Los Angeles to open the 2024 calendar year.

MAN FROM UNCLE

John Tavares is headed to the Hall of Fame.

OK, not the John Tavares you think of, or the first hall that comes to mind when it comes to hockey.

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John Tavares, a box lacrosse player and uncle of the Leafs' alternate captain, will be formally inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame during a dinner Thursday at the Marriott Airport Hotel. The elder Tavares, 56, is one of the few Hall of Famers in any sport who is a champion and coach.

The National Lacrosse League legend led in games played (306), goals (815), assists (934) and points (1,749). The three-time league MVP, most recently in 2001, has coached the NLL Buffalo Bandits and reigning Mann Cup champions the Six Nations Chiefs.

“I'm very happy when he gets the recognition he deserves,” the Leaf center said. “For our generation of athletes across Canada, he was one of the most underrated players because of how long he did it at such a high level.

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“The championships he won, the individual records he set and the type of teammate and leader he was… now he's showing it as a coach in the NLL and the Mann Cup.”

Tavares said that as a child, watching his uncle play made a huge impression on him.

“Not many guys grow up with that kind of influence. You don't realize it then, looking at his preparation, the competition, but also at the way he behaved.

His own father, Joe, was the elder of the two when the family first came to Canada from Portugal, but much of his time was devoted to settling himself and his relatives, and Uncle John was born here later. Tavares said Tuesday that Joe wasn't that talented of an athlete, but he played soccer and a little hockey and could shoot right or left.

“That's something he told me I couldn't do,” John laughed. “But lacrosse is our family sport, my uncles and some of my cousins ​​were good at it.”

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Those honored at the OSHF dinner also included the 1973 Toronto Marlies.

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NO, NO

Oliver Ekman-Larsson would have been delighted to see his first goal for the Leafs come on the power play on Wednesday, now that he has been given a chance as a top-flight starting defenseman with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

“I try to help as much as I can,” the former Florida Panther said. “That's nice. Sometimes it's hard to decide who to give the puck to (man advantage). Each of these guys is a good option, but they come with a lot of risks.

However, the group is 0-for-9 so far – and so OEL have a step up and an opportunity to capitalize on their shot, which has been deemed stronger than Morgan Rielly's in this particular role, with a better ability to sift it through defenders into the net. The Leafs need rebounds to make up ground after falling back into their old habit of trying to thread the needle with too many passes.

“I've worked a lot over the years (getting pucks in the net) and I still do,” he said. “I'm walking on the blue line, trying to move my feet. I have a fairly long stick which also helps get around the puck quicker and get it a little further out if needed.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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