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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Florida Panthers (optional) skated at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. 

Monday marks the start of the Maple Leafs’ first-ever Mentors Trip. 

"It's outstanding," said head coach Sheldon Keefe, who has invited his mother-in-law. "This is unique from what I've seen and I think it's great to expand it. They've already done moms and dads here and to expand it to really anyone who has a positive impact on your life is outstanding."

Leafs’ captain John Tavares is bringing his old minor hockey coach James Naylor. 

"He made a big impact on my life not just as a hockey player, but as a person," Tavares said. "When you have someone who was around you almost 20 years ago and you still talk to him frequently and have a really good relationship, I think it speaks to the impact he made on me, so happy to have him here."

The group of mentors posed for a picture with the players and staff before the morning skate and will be accompanying the team to New York for Wednesday's game against the Rangers. 

Arkells frontman Max Kerman ​is the guest of GM Kyle Dubas for the trip. 

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Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left Saturday's game in Montreal with a lower-body injury and will miss tonight's showdown in Toronto. The centre is listed as day-to-day. 

"It affects your power play, five-on-five important minutes and penalty killing," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "He plays big minutes, important minutes and you're missing a very important piece ... so it will be a good test for us to play the right way and do the little things we'll need to do to have some success. Everyone should assume they'll get more ice time and quality ice time as well."

Barkov is averaging just less than 20 minutes per game this season and is second on the Panthers in scoring with 54 points. 

"He's our best player," said Jonathan Huberdeau. "He's so good in every situation so we all got to step up."

The Leafs are looking to avenge an ugly 8-4 loss to the Panthers on Jan. 12. Keefe previously said his group looked like an "immature team" in that setback, which saw them trailing 5-0 early in the second period.

"The feeling of that game certainly lasted longer," Keefe admitted. "I don't know that it bled into the other games that we had that didn't go our way after. I don't know if that was necessarily the case, but because it was such a big game and a divisional opponent it stung for longer, in particular, through that break and everything like that. So we've been looking for a chance to get back at it."

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Panthers’ defenceman Anton Stralman will play the 800th game in his NHL career tonight right back where he started his career in the 2007-08.

"Funny how it works," the 33-year-old said with a smile.

Stralman reflected on his two-season experience in Toronto this morning.   

"It was very special coming here," Stralman said. "Mats (Sundin) being such a big role model for me growing up and I had a chance to play with him for a year and that was quite special ... It's all good memories."

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Travis Dermott skated alongside Tyson Barrie this morning after missing Saturday's game due to illness. Keefe noted that Dermott hasn't done much over the last few days and will be a game-time decision tonight. Toronto will dress seven defencemen in warmup with Martin Marincin on standby if Dermott can't go. 

 

Leafs lines at morning skate: 

Hyman - Matthews - Marner 

Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander 

Johnsson - Engvall - Kapanen  

Moore - Gauthier - Spezza 

Timashov 

 

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Barrie 

Sandin - Ceci 

Marincin

 

Andersen starts 

Hutchinson