See more MLHS in Google Add MLHS as a preferred source + Add At the best of times, preseason is incredibly difficult to evaluate.
In these changing times, we have to be even more careful.
With the NHL schedule moving to 84 games, the preseason schedule has been reduced to four. In the Leafs’ case, those four games are happening on just two nights. Add in a training camp that was only three days old heading into the games, and there is a lot to sort through in terms of the players finding their timing and legs, let alone the coaching staff implementing any sort of structure.
That is particularly relevant for a Leafs organization that was completely turned over in the offseason, facing a Montreal Canadiens organization that underwent essentially zero change. The Canadiens effectively made one addition and returned largely the same team from last season.
It is worth considering, at least to some degree, that the Leafs didn’t roll out a single line whose members all played together last season. Montreal showed far more structure and confidence across the two games, outshooting the Leafs in both and carrying the play for long stretches.
One thing that didn’t help either team was the parade to the penalty box, particularly in Toronto. By the end of the second period, eight penalties had been called, meaning nearly half of the first 40 minutes was spent on special teams. In preseason, you want to roll the lines, find some flow, and get everyone involved. That is impossible with so many penalties, and it was disappointing that at least a handful were egregiously soft, including the slashing call against William Nylander.
All that said, the Leafs shouldn’t receive a free pass, either. Both Leafs teams were generally outplayed, and there was little pushback as the Habs were also the physical aggressor in most instances. The Leafs did answer the bell a number of times, so give them credit for that; Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe both responded when their goaltenders were contacted, clearing the very low bar the team set last season by doing absolutely nothing.
But players like Florian Xhekaj also went after Auston Matthews, while nobody treated Montreal’s top players even remotely the same way. Did anyone make Nick Suzuki uncomfortable at any point? Did Cole Caufield have a second thought at any moment other than on his two-on-zero to win the game in overtime?
It was relatively plain-sailing on one side, while Marshall Rifai had to fight Xhekaj for going after Matthews, and Nylander took a penalty after he was hit. The Leafs signed Zack MacEwen, presumably to provide some sort of enforcer or physical presence, but he was nowhere to be found.
For more than half of the Leafs’ actual roster, you can understand why they wouldn’t be initiators in preseason. In fact, they actively shouldn’t be. Even third-line players like Nick Paul and Easton Cowan have no reason to initiate anything, since they are already on the team.
Everyone below them—and any potential bubble player—is a completely different story. Dakota Joshua was one of the big winners on the night by virtue of not playing at all; the players he is presumably competing against, including Steven Lorentz and Brandon Duhaime, did little to suggest they absolutely must be in the opening-night lineup a week and a half from now, although Duhaime almost certainly will be, given his contract.
This is very much a work in progress, and the Leafs will need time given all the new faces. But the season also begins in under two weeks, and they have only one more day of preseason games. There is very little time to start playing significantly better.
The Leafs play eight of their first 12 games at home this season. It is coming quickly, and they can’t afford another slow start. It was one preseason game, and no alarm bells are going off yet, but time is not on their side, and they have a lot of work to do. We will see how much progress they have made by the time the next pair of games rolls around on Wednesday.
Player Notes The most promising showing of the night was Auston Matthews‘. His skating looked much better than it did last season, even though he is now returning from a torn MCL. Matthews made several plays where he cut through the neutral zone, carried the puck, and created his own shot. He was robbed multiple times, and considering he played over 23 minutes and recorded six shots on goal, I’m not sure how he didn’t score. Of course, you would like to see him bury one, but the first question is how he is moving, the second is whether he is generating chances, and the third is whether he is finishing them. The first two boxes were checked in this game. The other big positive, which will probably get lost in the shuffle, was Sergei Bobrovsky‘s play. He played only half the game and technically faced just five shots—the Canadiens scored once on a play that wasn’t really his fault—but he moved around really well and made a few nice saves despite the low shot total. In Montreal, Artur Akhtyamov also played really well and was the only reason the Leafs remained in the game after the first period. The Canadiens scored twice on him, but they dominated the opening period and put 13 shots on goal. Akhtyamov started two games last season: one against the Islanders, who recorded 44 shots, and another against Dallas, which ended 6-5 in a game where no defense was played. At some point, it would be nice to see the team play even a modicum of defense in front of him at this level. Gavin McKenna‘s debut was promising, and he was probably unlucky to leave the game without a point, as he created several scoring chances and flashed his slippery puck-handling. He also struggled at times along the wall in his own end and looked like an 18-year-old in defensive-zone coverage. He hasn’t had to do much of it to this point in his life, and it will take time. That is one reason why I was hesitant about the idea of playing him with William Nylander, who also isn’t strong defensively. As a whole, the line was out-attempted 13-8 while spending most of its time against the Phillip Danault line. It was essentially as expected: They were dangerous off the rush and when given time and space, but they struggled to create space, sustain pressure, or win the puck back defensively. It went similarly as expected for the top line, with Jack Roslovic and Matthew Knies flanking Matthews. While Matthews looked great, Knies was hardly noticeable, and Roslovic alternated between good plays with the puck and giveaways or coverage lapses, including on the Canadiens’ opening goal. The line was outshot 7-2 at five-on-five, even though, again, Matthews looked good. There is no reason to draw any conclusions from one measly preseason game, but the McKenna line did nothing to dispel the genuine concerns about the combination. Neither did playing Roslovic on the top line with Knies on the opposite wing. I thought Troy Stecher made a solid preseason debut in Montreal. If there is a competition between him, Nick Blankenburg, and Emil Andrae, Stecher had the best night of the three. He led breakouts, actively disrupted plays, and was solid defensively while logging 21:24 alongside Dakota Mermis. Blankenburg played a whopping 24:47 and made some good plays with the puck, but Juraj Slafkovsky also walked him, and he had a few other difficult defensive moments. The puck skills are evident, but so are the defensive limitations. Andrae played a modest 17:46 and didn’t particularly show much. I liked Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s night, including the point shot that resulted in a power-play goal and his overall spirit in the game. The Leafs were dominated in the first period, and you could visibly see he was upset with their play. He helped spearhead a second-period turnaround and went after Slafkovsky in overtime after he ran into the Leafs’ goaltender. He is a useful player who brings a lot to the organization. Both wearing As on their jerseys, Nick Paul and Colton Sissons had their legs in Montreal. Their line was put in a difficult position, buried defensively without the support of the Leafs’ top defensemen while playing on the road against Montreal’s best players. I thought both were skating well and produced some good moments with the puck. Easton Cowan was also skating well, but he tried to do too much with the puck on more than a few occasions. When the Leafs received a power play in overtime, Cowan made some bizarre decisions on the entries, including skating into traffic for a turnover and dumping the puck in on a four-on-three—which should never be necessary given all of the open ice. Cowan is in a somewhat awkward role. The Leafs want him to make plays, but he is also playing on a quasi-checking line that requires proper puck management and low-risk decisions. Darren Raddysh played a really solid first game that extended far beyond his fluky goal. His puck touches were largely positive, and he made a few nice defensive plays on odd-man rushes. He also laid out to block shots, which he shouldn’t be doing in preseason, but it was nonetheless commendable. He is a good player who will help this team a lot. Tinus Luc Koblar’s size is noticeable, and he is a promising player, but it isn’t happening for him in Toronto this season. He simply isn’t ready and needs to improve his play with the puck on his stick. Sending him back to Sweden would slide his contract and open a slot for the Leafs to sign Blankenburg or make another move. I won’t get too bogged down in the power-play details just yet, but Montreal pressured the Leafs aggressively, and their top players did not react well to it early in the game. Shortly before scoring, the Leafs finally started moving the puck more quickly and breaking the pressure, but the new handedness was clearly causing hesitation. With a right-handed shot at the point and a second right-handed shot in Roslovic, the familiar passing lanes simply weren’t there. The entries were generally good, but it was a little surprising to see Matthews as the primary puck carrier instead of Nylander. In a media availability, Nylander noted that he arrived in Toronto only a couple of days before camp opened, and it showed. His timing and skating were off, and he fanned on a one-timer setup at one point. Game Highlights: Canadiens 4 vs. Maple Leafs 1
Game Highlights: Canadiens 4 vs. Maple Leafs 3 (OT)