Watching the San Jose Sharks tear up the Vancouver Canucks, in Saturday’s late game and the Los Angeles Kings beat the higher seeded Anaheim Ducks earlier in the day, underlines what the Leafs will be facing on the road this week.

Brent Burns, interviewed on Hockey Night In Canadaafter San Jose won and looking as intimidating off the ice with his beard and gap-tooth grin, will be taking no prisoners among the rookie-laden Leafs.



“Three good teams out there and they’ve been good for a long time,” Toronto winger Zach Hyman said.



The trip wraps up with back-to-back games in L.A. and Anaheim on Thursday and Friday, then a three-day rest before the meat of the March stretch drive with five straight games against teams currently behind Toronto in the East.



“I expect to win,” defiant head coach Mike Babcock said of going west. “We should have (Tyler Bozak) back. He just had a cut in his hand and got an infection. That should be cleaned up and he should be (ready).”



Bozak missed Toronto’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens on Saturday, as did forward Mitch Marner and defenceman Connor Carrick. but general manager LouLamoriellosaid Sunday he did not think additional players from the Marlies would be called up.



Toronto’s record against the West this season is 9-8-6.



ZACH ZAPPED



Call it another lesson learned for Leaf rookie Hyman. He hesitated getting rid of a puck in the second period during a Montreal power play that Andrew Shaw and AlexGalchenyukworked to Max Paciorettyfor the 1-1 goal.



“No excuse, that’s my job on the penalty kill, one of the very reasons I’m here,” Hyman said. “I didn’t see him coming from behind, I was just trying to buy an extra couple of seconds and those (veteran) players, they’ll catch you. Every game matters, everyone is playing for keeps. These are huge games and the margins are getting smaller and smaller.”



Hyman assisted on Auston Matthews’ second goal, but was on the ice when Shaw had the game-winner.



MARLIE MATTERS



The Marlies had a big second period on Saturday with goals from Andreas Johnsson,Colin Smithand Mason Marchment, but gave up one in the third period and lost 4-3 in Hershey. That broke a five-game winning streak, but the farm team now has a few days off before a school day game against Bridgeport on Thursday at Ricoh Coliseum.



Lamoriello says the farm team won’t be replacing assistant coachGord Dineen, let go earlier last week.



On Sunday, the AHL suspended Binghamton Senators forward Greger Hanson two games for a boarding incident on Toronto forward Brett Findlay on Friday.

Findlay was injured and did not play in Hershey.



LOOSE LEAFS



Defenceman Roman Polakhad six of Toronto’s 32 hits on Saturday, but Alexei Emelinhad nine for the Canadiens and 69 were recorded by both teams ... Of the four games Montreal won in sweeping this season’s series, three of them were one-goal decisions ... Matt Martin’s next game will be his 500th in the NHL.