The Toronto Maple Leafs return to the matter of hockey on Tuesday night, a day after it was learned forward Jason Blake has leukemia.
Blake will be in the lineup as Toronto hosts the Carolina Hurricanes at Air Canada Centre. Both clubs sport 1-1-1 records.
Jason Blake is expected to be in Toronto's lineup Tuesday night at home against Carolina.
(Phillip McCallum/Getty Images)
Blake revealed on Monday that he has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a form of cancer that affects a few hundred Canadians each year, and involves the overproduction of white blood cells.
"When you find out that you have something, it's definitely shattering to your whole family and so on," Blake said on Monday. "But, overall, I feel good. I'm still here and my goal this whole season hasn't changed."
Blake, 34, said he was taking oral medication to treat the disease, which has symptoms that can include fatigue and weight loss.
Dr. Noah Forman, a Maple Leafs team doctor, said Blake could lead a full, productive life. The diagnosis was confirmed last week after irregularities in the player's bloodwork were discovered after training camp opened.
The winger had signed a four-year, $20 million US contract after scoring a career-best 40 goals last season with the New York Islanders.
He has two assists in three games with Toronto so far this season and has provided much-needed speed up front.
Tomas Kaberle scored the winner in overtime for a 4-3 win over Montreal on Saturday night. It was the team's first power-play goal of the season after going without in 17 previous opportunities.
Alex Ponikarovsky had two goals for the Leafs, with Ian White also scoring.
Vesa Toskala made 25 saves during his first game in a Maple Leafs uniform and is expected to be rewarded a third consecutive start on Tuesday night.
Captain Mats Sundin is off to a strong start for the Leafs, tallying a goal and five assists in three games.
Carolina opened a six-game road trip with a 2-0 defeat to Washington on Saturday. Backup goaltender John Grahame made 31 saves in a losing effort.
"If we lose, I'd really like to think we competed the very best we could," coach Peter Laviolette told the Raleigh News & Observer. "You wake up and you go for the next game. The ones like [Saturday], they stick a little bit more; and you want to try to eliminate them as much as you can."
Defenceman David Tanabe played his first game of the season for the club on Saturday after he was waived by the St. Louis Blues. It is Tanabe's third stint with the Hurricanes.
Young Hurricane star Eric Staal will try to stay on track against Toronto after scoring two goals in a 4-1 win over Pittsburgh last Friday.
Veterans Cory Stillman and Brett Hedican are expected to return to the lineup against Toronto. Hedican missed the last two games with the flu, while Stillman will make his season debut after suffering minor injuries in a car accident on Oct. 2.
The Maple Leafs took three of four last season against the Hurricanes. Chad Kilger scored twice as Toronto chased Cam Ward from the net in a 6-1 rout in the last meeting on March 27.
Ward is expected to start on Tuesday.
Toronto is in the midst of a four-game homestand that will continue against the Islanders on Thursday and Pittsburgh on Saturday (CBC, 7 p.m. ET).
