(Sportsbooks) - It didn't take long for Brian Burke to make Toronto a winning team. The Maple Leafs will try for their second straight win with Burke as their general manager in tonight's test against the
Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center.
Burke became Toronto's 13th GM in team history on Saturday, replacing interim general manager Cliff Fletcher. Fletcher had replaced a fired John Ferguson back in January.
Burke held previous management jobs with Hartford, Vancouver and Anaheim, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2007. Toronto hasn't won a championship since 1967 and hasn't reached the postseason in any of the last three seasons.
Toronto did not displease its new GM on Saturday, posting a 4-2 win over Philadelphia. The victory halted the Maple Leafs five-game losing streak.
Nik Antropov registered a goal and an assist in the win, while Lee Stempniak, Dominic Moore and Pavel Kubina also scored. For Stempniak, it was his first goal in three games with the Maple Leafs since being acquired in a trade from St. Louis.
Vesa Toskala stopped 28 shots for his eighth win of the year. He is 6-2-0 with a 2.47 goals against average lifetime versus the Kings.
Toronto will begin a three-game western road trip tonight without Jason Blake, who has missed the last two games due to a concussion and is doubtful for this game. The Leafs are 4-5-2 this season on the road, where they have lost five of their last six. They will also play in San Jose and Phoenix on the swing.
The Kings have won two straight after Saturday's 5-2 victory over Chicago. Patrick O'Sullivan scored for the fourth time in his last five games, while Derek Armstrong netted the go-ahead goal in the third period.
O'Sullivan, Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll each finished with a goal and an assist for the Kings, who also got two assists each out of Michal Handzus and Kyle Quincey.
Erik Ersberg made 22 saves in the win. He has never faced Toronto in his career.
The Kings play the second of two straight home games tonight and are 7-5-3 as the host team this year. Los Angeles has also won five of its last seven at the Staples Center.
The Kings posted a 5-2 home win versus the Maple Leafs on January 10 of last year, their second straight win over Toronto. The Leafs are 1-4 with two ties in their last six trips to the City of Angels.
