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Maple Leafs aim to move closer to playoff spot

Feb 24, 2007 - 5:34 PM Toronto (29-23-9) at Philadelphia (16-36-9) 7:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Sliding out of the Eastern Conference's playoff race, the Toronto Maple Leafs hope to take advantage of their matchup with the lowly Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Losers of two straight contests, the Maple Leafs will take on the Flyers for the second time in 10 days.

Toronto has lost five of its last seven games to fall into 10th place in the Eastern Conference - two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. After a loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday, the Maple Leafs fell one point behind the Islanders for the ninth spot.

Three of Toronto's last four losses have come after regulation, including a 3-2 shootout loss to the Islanders. Alexei Ponikarovsky had the puck poke-checked away in the fourth round of the shootout on the Maple Leafs' final attempt.

Toronto has dropped three of its last four games on the road. However, its only win in that span came at Philadelphia on February 15, which was the Maple Leafs' fourth straight win against the Flyers on the road.

Toronto has won four straight and six out of seven games overall against Philadelphia.

The Flyers are just 5-17-7 at home. Philadelphia is 1-3-1 since trading captain Peter Forsberg, including a 3-2 overtime loss to Carolina on Thursday.