As usual, we're heading toward a jam-packed Saturday in the NHL, as 24 of the league's 32 teams will be in action.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of clubs worth backing.

Devils @ Flames

Dec. 9, 4 p.m. ET

The Devils are firing on all cylinders since getting captain Nico Hischier back in the lineup. They've won five of six games, losing only to the Sharks in a contest in which they held a 47-18 shot advantage. Go figure.

New Jersey has posted fantastic underlying metrics since Hischier's return, controlling 59.57% of the expected goals at five-on-five. That's a top-tier rate.

With their captain in the lineup, the Devils have a center who can eat up difficult minutes and dominate at both ends of the ice. It makes them better defensively and takes some of the load off Jack Hughes, ensuring he doesn't need to find the scoresheet a couple of times a night for his team to win.

New Jersey looks the part of the elite five-on-five club everyone expected. Factor in that the Devils also have the league's best power play, and it's no coincidence they're piling up wins.

I expect that to continue Saturday afternoon in Calgary. The Flames lack high-end talent up front, have middling five-on-five metrics, and will likely struggle to keep up with the Devils' high-powered offense.

Jacob Markstrom's absence is also problematic. He has quietly had a solid campaign, while Dustin Wolf (minus-1.8) and Dan Vladar (minus-4.6) don't grade out well in goals saved above expected. If Calgary doesn't get good goaltending, New Jersey's firepower could cause a world of problems.

I see edges all over the ice in this game and expect the Devils to grind out another win against the Flames. I would play them up to -135.

Blues @ Blackhawks

Dec. 9, 8 p.m. ET

The Blues go as Jordan Binnington does. Even after getting bombarded by the Golden Knights, he still owns a .912 save percentage and has saved more than nine goals above expectation. He has been one of the better goaltenders in the league this season when also factoring in his difficult workload.

After being lit up by Vegas on Wednesday, the expectation is St. Louis will start Joel Hofer versus the Blue Jackets on Friday night.

That would mean the Blues turn back to Binnington against the Blackhawks on Saturday.

Chicago is truly horrendous across the board. Its goaltending is inconsistent, and the defense is terrible. The Blackhawks also have next to no reliable offensive contributors beyond Connor Bedard. It's a one-man show.

I'm not high on the Blues by any stretch, but they're clearly the better team. They aren't going to give up many opportunities to the Blackhawks, and Binnington should be able to put out the rare fire in front of him.

Assuming Binnington is in net, I'd play the Blues up to -150.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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Amid Detroit's chaotic 6-5 overtime loss to San Jose on Thursday, Patrick Kane reminded the hockey world why he earned the nickname "Showtime."

Kane, who inked a one-year deal with the Red Wings last week, recorded eight shot attempts in his debut. He failed to register a point but rang the post on a partial breakaway in the third period. He skated well, winning races to loose pucks on multiple occasions. The 35-year-old was his usual crafty and measured self in a playmaking role, too; his chemistry with former linemate Alex DeBrincat was apparent from their opening shift together. He logged nearly 17 minutes of even-strength and power-play action.

Kane's return to the NHL was extremely encouraging. It was also a reminder of the unique path Detroit is on.

Unlike the Atlantic Division's other upstart clubs - Ottawa, Buffalo, and Montreal - the Wings haven't picked in the top three of the draft during their rebuild despite bottoming out in similar fashion. While Dylan Larkin, DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Kane (if he continues to play well) are all top-of-the-lineup players, the Wings lack a bona fide superstar.

They don't have a Tim Stutzle equivalent up front nor a Rasmus Dahlin-Owen Power combo on the back end. (Yeah, we'll leave Juraj Slafkovsky out of this.)

Instead, Detroit - comfortably ahead of Ottawa, Buffalo, and Montreal in the standings - has filled key lineup spots with trusty vets in or past their primes.

"When you sign with us, you're signing up for trying to build something," Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said earlier this week about integrating so many moving parts. "You can see a decent young core. They can envision themselves being part of it. They want to be here. Even Patty (Kane). He wanted to be here. DeBrincat and (Jeff) Petry in the offseason through some trades. It speaks volumes about what we're trying to build and do."

This strategy of finding outside help shifted into high gear this past offseason. On top of DeBrincat and Petry, general manager Steve Yzerman brought in J.T. Compher, Klim Kostin, Christian Fischer, Daniel Sprong, Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Holl, Alex Lyon, and James Reimer. The average age of the entire haul, including Kane: 29.5. Talk about a lot of mileage - and depth.

Top scorers Larkin and DeBrincat are tied for 29th and 37th, respectively, in league-wide points. Yet, the Wings as a team rank second in goals per game.

"We have a lot of top-end skill in a lot of different places," Raymond told theScore. "Our biggest advantage is our depth - the way we have four really good lines who can play (consistently). We have seven really good D-men as well."

The influx of vets puts Detroit in a fascinating position for 2023-24: It appears to be a club with a relatively high floor (almost guaranteed to finish in or just outside of the playoffs) and relatively low ceiling (one playoff series win?).

That isn't bad. It's just different compared to what's happening elsewhere.

Carlsson's slow burn with Ducks

The tricky part about analyzing Leo Carlsson's much-discussed load-management plan with the Ducks is that alternative realities don't exist. It's impossible to know if a regular schedule of games, versus the lightened load Carlsson's currently taking on, would have been better or worse for the rookie.

The comparison simply can't be made.

Disclaimer out of the way, the plan - in which Carlsson appears in roughly two games per week until the midpoint of the season while focusing on building strength and speed through off-ice training - has been hugely successful.

Carlsson has contributed eight goals, including three against the Flyers on Nov. 10, plus five assists while appearing in 18 of Anaheim's 26 games. He's attacking and playmaking with confidence while skating for 18:20 a night. Impressively, the second pick in the 2023 draft is third among rookies in points per game (0.72), trailing Connor Bedard (0.84) and Connor Zary (0.75).

"He's going to be elite," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, whose club has faced off against Carlsson three times already, told reporters this week. "Big, long guy that's only going to get stronger. He's a great skater, and he's got silky hands. He's an intelligent player with a skill set that's off the charts."

Couldn't agree more. Carlsson, who's listed at 6-foot-3, 194 pounds, reminds me of Aleksander Barkov. If that seems like heady praise for a kid barely acclimated to the NHL and turning 19 later this month, well, it is.

Truthfully, my initial reaction to the news of the Ducks' load-management plan was cynical. I thought general manager Pat Verbeek might be babying a young player suiting up for a rebuilding team. By limiting his games, it could look like he was trying to suppress Carlsson's future earning potential and trying to lose more often to increase draft lottery odds. I was clearly wrong.

Carlsson and his agent have been open about how they're generally on board with the plan - which, by the way, isn't for every team or high-end prospect. In Carlsson's case, though, maybe a slower burn is in fact the perfect pace.

Anderson battling prolonged cooler

Josh Anderson has always been a player who catches the eye. He's 6-foot-3, 224 pounds, can skate like the wind, and can really wire the puck. He delivers body checks and fights here and there. His physical gifts are notable.

Those gifts haven't completely disappeared this season. But his scoring touch has. Anderson, who's potted between 17 and 27 goals in each of his seven full NHL seasons, is on pace for just three. Through 26 games, the Canadiens' winger has one lonely goal into a vacant net.

On that one scoring play, Anderson slung the puck from below the hashmarks in Montreal's zone and into Seattle's open cage. It brought a smile to Anderson's face, but it comes with an asterisk. The last time he scored on a netminder was March 13 - 31 games ago.

What a baffling stretch for a guy with a career shooting percentage of 11.1%.

Anderson's generated a total of 91 shot attempts, 51 of which have been marked as a shot on goal. That shots-on-goal rate (7.1 per 60 minutes) is indeed lower than his career average; however, to Anderson's credit, he's racked up a respectable 7.47 expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick.

So, there's a decent amount of plain ol' bad puck luck baked into Anderson's prolonged cooler. He's hit several posts and been robbed a few times, most notably by Jacob Markstrom during a mid-November game against Calgary.

Still, this isn't a bad week or month. One-third of the season is over. Anderson scored on just 1.6% of his shots for Columbus in 2019-20 - an anomaly for his career - but he was battling injury. Right now? He's apparently fully healthy.

Parting shots

Sid the (old) Kid: The Penguins' trainwreck of a power play (seven goals on 71 man-advantage opportunities) is rightfully attracting everybody's attention. So much so that it's overshadowing captain Sidney Crosby's stellar age-36 season. The 23rd-oldest player in the league sits third in five-on-five points, with 20 in 25 games (he trails buddy Nathan MacKinnon and teammate Jake Guentzel). Crosby, who's in the "wow, he can still do that" stage of his career, is winning faceoffs and recording takeaways at career-high rates. The Pens are outscoring the opposition 29-18 with him on the ice at five-on-five.

"I've always believed that Sid's defensive game flies under the radar, probably because his offensive game is so dynamic," Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan said prior to a recent game in Buffalo. "No one ever really speaks about his commitment to playing defense. But he's a detailed guy. He's a student of the game. And I think he understands that it's essential to winning."

Happy Claim Day: Next Tuesday marks one year since the Kraken claimed Eeli Tolvanen off waivers. Shortly after the claim, former Predators executive David Poile wondered aloud if losing Tolvanen would come back to haunt Nashville (the club foolishly thought he'd pass through waivers). Spoiler alert: Poile's instincts were spot-on. Tolvanen, 24, has excelled in Seattle, producing 52 points in 89 regular-season and playoff games. He's currently tied for third on the team with 17 points. The 30th overall pick in 2017 boasts a wicked shot. He's a valued member of the power play. His defensive metrics are solid. And he's relatively inexpensive at a $1.45-million cap hit. Good on the Kraken and good for Tolvanen, who didn't get a fair shake in Nashville.

Smart Cats: The 15-8-2 Panthers once again look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. But what's jumped off the page when watching them this season is that they evaluate NHL players as good as any team in the league. I intentionally included the word "NHL" above because although Florida's draft-and-develop record is fine, they've acquired established (and sometimes undervalued) NHLers at an exceptionally high rate. Aleksander Barkov is the lone homegrown forward in the top six. Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett all arrived via trade, and Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues were signed as free agents. The blue line was built out similarly: one homegrown talent (Aaron Ekblad) among the four top performers. Brandon Montour - acquired via trade. Gustav Forsling - waivers. Oliver Ekman-Larsson - free agency. All credit to GM Bill Zito and his pro scouting and analytics groups. The Panthers are doing a bang-up job identifying talent.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

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This year in sports was defined by inspiring stories, historic achievements, and surreal events that not even Hollywood could script. We loved them all. With 2023 drawing to a close, theScore is looking back on 50 moments that resonated most with us over the past 12 months. Our five-part series, which counts down every Friday in December, continues below with moments 40-31.

40. Ngannou rocks Fury's world 🥊

The first round went about as expected. The second was more competitive. But the third round is when everyone realized they had gotten it wrong. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou hadn't just showed up to collect a huge paycheck in his boxing debut against lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury. He intended to - and could - win. Ngannou knocked Fury down with a left hand, nearly authoring an upset that would have rivaled Buster Douglas' 1990 win over Mike Tyson. Fury went on to win a split decision, but Ngannou being competitive in all 10 rounds - and winning the fight on one scorecard - is still one of the most impressive feats in combat sports. - Nick Baldwin

39. Angel Reese mimics Caitlin Clark 👋

The trash-talker got trash-talked. In the dying minutes of LSU's 102-85 victory over Iowa in the NCAA women's basketball title game, LSU's Angel Reese taunted Iowa's Caitlin Clark, making John Cena's famous "You can't see me" hand gesture, and pointing at her ring finger in light of her impending championship. The exchange went viral, with many condemning Reese, who is Black, for being unsportsmanlike, even though Clark, who is white, used the same gesture to widespread praise in the Elite Eight. Clark later said that Reese shouldn't have been criticized "at all," while Reese said there's "no bad blood" between the generational talents before the 2024 season. This was simply two stars going toe-to-toe and engaging in some healthy - and wildly entertaining - banter on the big stage. That's the good stuff. - Sarah Wallace

38. 'What's an isolation retreat?' 🤔

No NFL player stole headlines in the 2023 offseason as often - and as uniquely - as Aaron Rodgers. He left his future with the Packers open-ended in January after Green Bay failed to make the playoffs, and before deciding what was next for him, the four-time NFL MVP went on a "darkness retreat" seeking clarity to help with his decision-making. It worked, as he went from being "90%" retired to locked in on returning for a 19th NFL season. After leaving his multi-day isolation, Rodgers said he felt the Packers wanted a change at quarterback and decided to join the Jets, who acquired the veteran signal-caller in April in one of the biggest trades in league history. - Caio Miari

37. Club pro dunks ace at PGA Championship 🏌️

Southern California club professional Michael Block took the golfing world by storm in May at the PGA Championship when he shockingly made the cut. Block took things to another level on the weekend at Oak Hill, playing with Rory McIlroy in the final round and making an electrifying hole-in-one on the 15th hole. Block finished in a tie for 15th, earning an invitation into the field for the 2024 PGA Championship as well as a number of sponsor exemptions. Not bad for a 47-year-old father of two. - Josh Goldberg

36. Historic buzzer-beater for SDSU 🚨

A March Madness buzzer-beater is guaranteed to be memorable, but deciding a game between two Cinderella teams makes it a classic moment. San Diego State and Florida Atlantic, a pair of unlikely squads, battled it out for a spot in the title game. After being down seven points at the half, the Aztecs stormed back on a 16-4 run to keep the game close. SDSU forced an FAU miss with 10 seconds left and that allowed Aztecs guard Lamont Butler to drain a step-back mid-range shot at the buzzer, sending the program to its first appearance in the collegiate championship game. - Donald Higney

35. Jon Jones back with a bang 💥

One of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Jon Jones finally returned to the Octagon in March after three years away - and, boy, was it triumphant. There was a lot of doubt about whether he would be the same guy and how he would perform as a heavyweight. But in the end, it was as if Jones had never left. The former longtime UFC light heavyweight champion manhandled Ciryl Gane en route to a submission victory in just over two minutes at UFC 285, claiming the vacant heavyweight title and strengthening the argument he's the very best to ever do it. - Baldwin

34. Phenom Lopusanova steals the show 👶

If you thought Connor Bedard's run at the men's world juniors was phenomenal, meet 14-year-old Nela Lopusanova. The Slovakian wunderkind competed at the U18 Women's World Championship a week after Bedard and pulled off the first successful "Michigan" in a women's IIHF event, raising the puck on her stick's blade and lofting it lacrosse-style past the goalie. Lopusanova's idol, Patrick Kane, said she was "the best player on the ice" and there was "no chance" he attempted any of the moves she did when he was her age. Lopusanova finished atop the tournament field with nine goals and 12 points and was named tourney MVP despite her team's sixth-place finish. - Wallace

33. Jags entertain us, but not Al Michaels 😅

Al Michaels' lifeless call at the end of the chaotic Chargers-Jaguars wild-card game didn't illustrate what had just happened on the field: Riley Patterson drilled a 36-yard field goal to help Jacksonville stun the football world and win 31-30 after the Jaguars trailed by 27 at one point in the second quarter. It was the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history. It was quite the night for Trevor Lawrence too, as the 2021 No. 1 overall pick - in his first NFL playoff start - tossed four touchdowns after opening the matchup with four first-half interceptions. - Miari

32. Luis Diaz's emotional goal 🫶

We all needed a bit of good news during the final months of the year. That was especially true for Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, whose parents were kidnapped in his native Colombia at gunpoint in late October. His mother was released within hours, but his father remained in the custody of a notorious rebel group for over a week before Diaz returned to the field. After Diaz's dramatic equalizing goal in his first game back for Liverpool - after which he revealed a message on his shirt calling for his father's freedom - there was an encouraging breakthrough in negotiations which quickly led to the elder Diaz's release. The two reunited in November. - Gordon Brunt

31. Harden blasts 'liar' Morey 👀

With five words, James Harden's once mutually beneficial relationship with Daryl Morey ended in divorce: "Daryl Morey is a liar," the three-time scoring champ said in August after the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly ended talks trying to fulfill his request for a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden's diatribe about the Sixers executive earned him a hefty $100,000 fine, although he eventually got what he wanted. It also ended a dramatic feud between the pair, who had changed the trajectory of each other's careers. Morey's Houston Rockets acquired Harden and helped him transform from a Sixth Man of the Year into an MVP, while Harden's performance helped validate Morey's basketball philosophy. What once appeared to be the most solid of bridges between player and executive crumbled. - Bryan Mcwilliam

Let us know what your favorite sports moments were in the comments!

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Now that we're two months into this NHL season, the MVP race is a little more concrete. However, it's still pretty wide open.

Connor McDavid remains on the outside looking in despite producing two points per game since last month's edition of these rankings. He's back among the league's assists and points leaders, but it's still tough to include him in the upper echelon given the competition for this award. McDavid could certainly find himself back on the list next month if he keeps this up, though.

Sam Reinhart has outproduced his Florida Panthers teammates by a notable margin and helped keep them competitive with two key defensemen out of the lineup to start the campaign. He's also put himself on the fringes of the discussion, but he's shooting 27%, so that's bound to regress. Other candidates simply have stronger cases.

Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes was in the mix last month and is still piling up points. But as we documented in our most recent Norris Trophy rankings, his underlying numbers have taken a big dip lately.

Those three aren't among the top candidates at the moment. Instead, three of the top five this time around are gifted wingers hailing from outside North America. Here are our top MVP contenders at this juncture:

5. Jack Hughes

Last time, we noted Hughes' inclusion on future Hart lists might be in doubt given his injury. But the New Jersey Devils' superstar only missed five games, and he's been excellent at both ends of the ice since returning.

Hughes has four more assists and four more points than his closest teammate (Jesper Bratt). He ranks fifth in the league in goals above replacement and wins above replacement. He also sits atop the league in points per game while remaining in the top 10 in the hunt for the Art Ross Trophy.

Hughes notched five goals and 15 assists over the first 10 games of the season, and he's nearly matched that level of production since coming back. The 22-year-old has five tallies and eight helpers in the nine contests since then. That's included four and six, respectively, in his last five games, three of which were three-point efforts.

The bottom line is the American center has a more well-rounded game than McDavid right now, as his exemplary and superior WAR and GAR figures illustrate. That gives Hughes the edge.

4. Nikita Kucherov

Yes, Kucherov leads the league in points, is tied for first in assists, and is just one goal behind the NHL's goals leader in 2023-24. And yes, he's well ahead of the four other Tampa Bay Lightning players who've produced around a point per game this season. Kucherov has five more goals, five more assists, and 14 more points than the closest Bolts skaters.

That's saying something considering the others include Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Victor Hedman. However, that depth may also work against Kucherov because he's gotten plenty of help, whereas some of the other candidates have had to shoulder more of the load themselves with a less productive supporting cast.

It also doesn't boost Kucherov's case that he's registered nearly half of his goals and exactly half of his points on the power play. Even if he ultimately wins the Art Ross, doing so with so much of his output achieved on the man advantage should hinder his MVP aspirations. That being said, he does deserve some recognition for his performance, especially at 30 years old and with all the miles on his odometer from the Bolts' many lengthy playoff runs.

3. Cale Makar

Makar's two-game injury absence prior to his return Thursday shouldn't hurt his Hart hopes. He leads all NHL blue-liners in points per game (1.42), sits among the league's absolute best skaters in total points, and is tied with Quinn Hughes and Kucherov for first in assists.

Of course, the Hart Trophy is about more than offensive production, and Makar is a legitimate contender because he's excelled defensively as well. The Avalanche have scored 12 goals and allowed just seven with Makar on the ice at five-on-five in 12 games since our last edition. They've scored 23 and allowed just 15 with Makar in those situations all season.

The 25-year-old's underlying numbers remain superb across the board, including a scoring chances for percentage of 55.26. Only Hughes has better WAR and GAR numbers among rearguards on the season, and Makar has outplayed his counterpart in terms of metrics lately.

Much like Kucherov, Makar has a star-studded supporting cast that includes perennial MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. As a defenseman, Makar understandably hasn't carved out a big production disparity relative to his teammates like other contenders. But the fact that he's just two points back of the team lead is impressive given who his running mates are and what position he plays.

2. David Pastrnak

Pastrnak is no longer leading this race, but he's firmly in second for several reasons. For one thing, the 27-year-old is still blowing away his teammates with eight more assists and 12 more points than any other Boston Bruins skater along with two more goals.

Secondly, the Bruins has been firing on all cylinders (Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres notwithstanding) largely thanks to Pastrnak's elite play and despite losing numerous impact players in the offseason. The Bruins have either held or been close to holding the NHL's best record for most of 2023-24, even though many understandably expected them to lose a step following those departures.

The Czech dynamo's goal-scoring has cooled off to a degree recently, as he's collected four goals in the 12 games since our last edition after pouring in 10 over the first 13. But he's still making a major impact, with 12 assists in as many contests, five of which were multi-point outings.

Pastrnak's xGF and SCF percentages at five-on-five are still favorable, but not as eye-popping as those of the new front-runner.

1. Artemi Panarin

Panarin is far and away the biggest reason the New York Rangers have been jostling with the Bruins for the NHL's best record. The 32-year-old ranks among the league's absolute best in all three of the main offensive categories. He's done most of his damage at even strength, and his all-situations per-game goals and points rates would be career highs over a full season.

His shooting percentage (16.7) would be, too, so that may regress. But Panarin is absolutely thriving right now. More importantly, he's authoritatively outperforming his teammates. The Russian playmaker has a whopping 15 more points than the second-place Blueshirts skaters (Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck), and Panarin leads Kreider and the rest of the team in goals by two with the same number of games played as his potent counterpart.

Panarin isn't as sound defensively as some Hart contenders, but he's carried New York with his offensive dominance. Plus, his underlying numbers have been truly stellar, including a 57.33 SCF% at five-on-five. If the Rangers stay at or near the top of the NHL standings while Panarin continues to do this kind of heavy lifting, others will be hard-pressed to knock him out of the top spot.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Austin Watson unleashed a slap shot from his own blue line that struck Nashville Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon at center ice as time expired on a 5-1 loss Thursday.

Watson got a 10-minute misconduct and a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Predators head coach Andrew Brunette was not happy with the play, as he explained postgame.

Watson started his career with the Predators, playing his first six seasons with them before suiting up for three with the Ottawa Senators and then signing a one-year deal with the Lightning on Oct. 9.

Nashville acquired Lauzon in a March 2022 trade with the Seattle Kraken. He began his career with the Boston Bruins in 2018-19.

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Washington Capitals icon Alexander Ovechkin added another accolade to his legendary NHL career Thursday night by becoming the 16th player in league history to reach 1,500 points.

The milestone came via a secondary assist on Dylan Strome's third-period tally against the Dallas Stars.

"It's a pretty cool number," Ovechkin said postgame, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "I always say without my teammates, I would never reach. It's pretty cool."

Ovechkin achieved the feat in his 1,370th career game, making him the 12th-fastest player to reach the 1,500-point mark, according to Capitals Public Relations.

Sidney Crosby is the only other active player in the club, entering it last season. Both stars are closing in on the top 10 in all-time scoring.

Ovechkin, 38, entered Thursday's game with five goals and nine assists in 22 games this season. He's 67 tallies behind Wayne Gretzky's all-time record.

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll was forced to exit Thursday's game against the Ottawa Senators and didn't return after sustaining an apparent injury while making a save in the third period.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame that Woll will miss some time, but the club won't know the extent of the injury until doing more testing upon returning home, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Toronto will host the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Martin Jones made his Maple Leafs debut after Woll was helped off the ice. He stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced after Woll turned aside all but two of 31 shots in Toronto's 4-3 victory.

The latter puck-stopper performed well after usurping Ilya Samsonov as the Maple Leafs' No. 1 netminder earlier this season. The Russian missed his second straight game Thursday due to an illness and hasn't played since a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 24.

Woll came into the contest against the Senators with a .915 save percentage and an 8-5-1 record across 14 games in this campaign, 12 of which were starts. The 25-year-old authored a .925 save percentage over his previous five outings.

Jones, who'll turn 34 on Jan. 10, suited up for 48 games with the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23. He posted an .886 save percentage along with a 27-13-3 record. The veteran goalie saved minus-5.15 goals above expected and minus-10.33 goals above average last season, according to Evolving Hockey.

The Leafs signed Jones to a one-year, $875,000 contract in August.

Woll is on the books through 2024-25 at $766,667, per CapFriendly. Toronto drafted him 62nd overall in 2016.

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