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Maple Leafs welcome Red Wings for home-and-home opener

Oct 17, 2014 - 3:00 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to record their first home win of the season in dramatic fashion the last time out, and they hope to make it two in a row at Air Canada Centre when the rival Detroit Red Wings visit on Friday.

Friday's battle marks the start of a home-and-home series between the Original Six and Atlantic Division foes. Detroit will host the back end of the set on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs began 2014-15 with consecutive regulation losses at home before posting Sunday's 6-3 road win over the New York Rangers. Toronto then returned home and picked up a thrilling overtime win Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche.

Toronto trailed 2-1 after 40 minutes against the visiting Avalanche, but Joffrey Lupul sent the game beyond regulation with the lone goal of the third period and Phil Kessel later won it in overtime.

Kessel scored just 34 seconds into the extra session to deliver the 3-2 victory. He retrieved a puck in the Colorado zone, had a step on Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie as he cut to the front of the net and swept the puck underneath Semyon Varlamov.

"Phil's a special player. If you give him enough opportunities, he can score, he can hurt people in different ways," said Toronto head coach Randy Carlyle.

Kessel went without a point in his first two games of the season, but has recorded two goals and three assists in Toronto's two victories. The 27-year- old American winger led the Leafs in goals and points in each of his five seasons with the club.

Tyler Bozak notched two assists in Tuesday's win, while James van Riemsdyk added the other goal. James Reimer made 22 saves for the win.

Jonathan Bernier expects to get the start in net tonight, while Reimer could man the crease in tomorrow's rematch against the Red Wings. Bernier is 2-2-1 with a 3.06 goals against average in his career against Detroit, while Reimer is winless with a 3.94 GAA in three lifetime outings versus the Wings.

Detroit is playing its first road game of 2014-15 on Friday after beginning the season on a three-game homestand. The Red Wings won the opener at Joe Louis Arena, but then lost two straight.

The Wings were lucky to earn a point from their last outing, losing 3-2 in Wednesday's shootout against Boston, which had dropped a 2-1 decision in Detroit on the first night of the season. The Bruins held a 2-1 edge after two periods before Gustav Nyquist evened the score with a power-play goal early in the third stanza.

Tomas Tatar also scored in regulation for the Red Wings, while Jimmy Howard took the loss despite stopping 37 pucks. Detroit was outshot by a 39-20 margin in the setback and went 1-for-5 on the power play.

"Howie stole us a point here tonight," noted Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock. "All in all tonight we weren't as good as we'd like to be. We've just gotta be better."

David Krejci and Reilly Smith scored Boston's goals in regulation, and also added the only two tallies of the shootout.

Howard has started all three games for Detroit this season but the Red Wings No. 1 netminder could get a breather this weekend during the home-and-home. However, Howard is set to start again on Friday and owns a 2-1-1 record with a 2.48 GAA in five career games against Toronto.

Ex-Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has never faced his former team, but he could get the chance Saturday in Detroit.

The Red Wings won three of four meetings against Toronto last season, with the Leafs' lone win coming Jan. 1 in the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. Detroit has claimed seven of the last 13 encounters overall and has earned victories in its past two trips to Air Canada Centre.