The Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Sunday.
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The wait is over for Easton Cowan. The 20-year-old winger will make his NHL debut on Monday afternoon when the Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings.
And the team’s top prospect isn’t exactly being eased into the lineup. Cowan skated beside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on Toronto’s top line at Sunday’s practice.
“I feel confident,” he said. “I feel like I’m ready for this. So, just gonna take it all in, enjoy it and have some fun.”
Craig Berube is hoping Cowan can spark Matthews and Knies, who have yet to score in 5-on-5 play through two games.
“He’s a guy that [is] good down low in the offensive zone,” the coach said. “I’d like to get that line some more possession down there, some more plays. He does that stuff. He’s a great hounder too. He gets on top of things and he’s strong on pucks, hangs onto pucks, and so that’s why I made that switch.”
“Obviously pretty exciting,” said Cowan, who stands 6-foot, 190 pounds. “Just gotta go out, play your game, play hard and good things will come … Just create space for them. Obviously two good players, so use my smarts to make plays and play direct and we’ll be good.”
Cowan hasn’t played since Toronto’s final pre-season game on Oct. 4 in Detroit.
“He’s got a good motor,” Knies observed. “He’s going to skate around the ice and cause some havoc and get pucks back for us. He’s got a lot of skill around the net so he can make some plays.”
Matthews scored an empty-net goal in Wednesday’s opening night win against the Montreal Canadiens, but that is his only point of the season so far. Knies has one assist, which came on a Morgan Rielly goal against Montreal.
Matias Maccelli, who started the first two games on the top line, moved to the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander at practice.
Knies described his line’s play so far as “fine.”
“Obviously, it could be a lot better defensively and just our structure,” he added. “I think offensively we’re getting looks, it just hasn’t gone in. Auston’s hit a bar and I had some good chances on net and a breakaway too that hasn’t gone in. If we keep chipping away, I think we’re gonna get opportunities and put the puck in the back of the net.”
Cowan produced two assists in five pre-season games while playing primarily on a line with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz, who are now both sidelined. Laughton (lower body) blocked a shot off his foot in the penultimate pre-season game, while Lorentz (upper body) departed Saturday’s loss in Detroit early after taking a hit from Wings defenceman Ben Chiarot.
Lorentz did not take part in Sunday’s practice and Berube had no timeline for his return.
Despite spending most of training camp on the fourth line, Cowan is more than capable of providing offence. He racked up 13 goals and 26 assists in 17 playoff games in the Ontario Hockey League last season while leading the London Knights to a second straight title.
Cowan then produced seven points in five games to earn MVP honours at the Memorial Cup. He scored the game-winning goal in the final against Medicine Hat.
Cowan, who also played for Team Canada at the last two World Juniors, insists he’s not really feeling all that nervous ahead of his NHL debut.
“I feel like I’ve played in a lot of big games, so that’s gonna help me,” he noted. “Honestly not too nervous right now.”
“It’s not gonna be easy, but I think he’s gonna settle in,” said Knies, who also made his NHL debut at age 20. “I think playing alongside Auston is gonna obviously help him. Hopefully our experience can kind of help him and take him along. I don’t think he has any nerves. I think he’s just excited. I’m happy for him and excited to play with him. He’s an incredible player.”
Leafs’ Cowan to make NHL debut Monday on Matthews’ line Craig Berube revealed that Easton Cowan will make his NHL debut on Monday when the Maple Leafs host the Red Wings. Cowan will join Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on Toronto’s top line.
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Initially scheduled for 4 p.m., Monday’s start time got moved up to 2 p.m. to avoid a conflict with Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, which will be played just down the road with first pitch between the Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners set for 5 p.m.
“I’m actually happy about that,” Cowan said. “I like the afternoon games, so I’m pumped about that for sure.”
Following Sunday’s noon practice, Cowan admitted the rest of the day will likely “go by slow.”
The native of Mount Brydges, Ont. is expecting between 20-30 family and friends to be in attendance as he makes his NHL debut at home.
“I think that makes it that much more special,” Cowan said. “Lots of family and friends and obviously in front of the awesome Toronto fans.”
Which family member will be most excited?
“Probably my mom,” Cowan said. “She’s done so much for me.”
NHL: Maple Leafs 3, Red Wings 6 Lucas Raymond scored twice, including the 100th goal of his career, Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, and the Red Wings pulled away for a victory over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
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Matthews famously scored four goals in his first NHL game. What does he remember about the day before that historic debut?
“I don’t remember much, to be honest,” the Leafs captain said during a media session on Friday. “I think you just kind of treat it as normal as possible. Do what you kind of do, go out for dinner with some of the guys, stay in and order room service, watch a TV show, watch a hockey game, a football game, I don’t know. I think you just kind of treat it as normal as possible and just kind of stick to your routine, whatever that may be.”
Berube likes how Cowan has remained patient while awaiting this opportunity.
“Cowboy’s worked hard,” Berube said. “He’s prepared. He’s done a real good job of all that stuff. And he’s stayed positive. He wanted to play, but just didn’t get him in the first two games and now he’s got an opportunity. He’s been really good in practice and worked really hard. He’s been focused.”
Cowan planned to check in with former Leafs prospect Fraser Minten, who was sent to the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline last season, on Sunday afternoon.
“He’ll be pumped,” Cowan said with a smile.
The pair struck up a close friendship after Cowan was picked in the first round by the Leafs in 2023. Minten was the team’s top pick in the 2022 draft.
Minten, who has suited up in 28 NHL games over three seasons, already offered Cowan some insight on the key to success at the top level.
“Just details,” Cowan said. “You gotta be good on the boards and stuff like that. I feel like I’ve done a great job of that so far. So just gotta keep going.”
The Matthews line often gets the toughest matchups. In Wednesday’s opener, they spent most of their shifts against the Nick Suzuki line. On Saturday, it was the Dylan Larkin unit that faced Matthews the most.
“I watched him in camp and the games, and I thought he did a good job defensively,” Berube said of Cowan. “He’s a smart player. He’s got a good IQ.”
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After falling behind 2-0 on Saturday, the Wings dominated the second period piling up three goals to take control of the game against the Leafs.
“We were fine until the nine, 10-minute mark,” Berube said. “And then we started not playing direct, turning pucks over and now we’re playing in our own zone. And now we can’t get changes because we’re just punting pucks out. They’re coming back at us and they three-quarter-iced us really well. That’s a mental thing for me. We can’t go from period to period and change what we’re doing well.”
“We had complete control of the game and let our foot off the gas,” forward Max Domi told reporters after the game on Saturday. “I think it’s a good learning experience early on in the year.”
Berube did not like the way his team looked in the second period of Wednesday’s opener against Montreal either. The coach is unwilling to chalk it up to early-season sloppiness.
“I don’t accept it,” he said. “I don’t. We had a good, hard meeting today. I don’t care what time of year it is, you know, we got to make sure we’re all bought into playing the right way.”
The Leafs have been outshot 29-19 in the second period of their first two games.
Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz believes his team should have been better prepared for a pushback from the Wings, who dropped their opener 5-1 against the Canadiens and got booed off home ice.
“We stopped getting pucks in deep,” Stolarz told reporters following his first loss of the season. “Stopped hunting them on the forecheck, and we kind of just sat back and kind of let them walk all over us … It’s a lesson for us. We have to come to play every night. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing.”
Button: Maple Leafs ‘looked really slow’ in second period vs. Red Wings TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joins SportsCentre to break down what went wrong for the Maple Leafs in their loss to the Red Wings, and explain how important Nicolas Roy is to Toronto’s success this season.
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Berube noted that the team’s internal tracking showed that the Leafs only allowed two scoring chances in the third period on Saturday night. But, again, mental miscues got in the way of a comeback effort.
“We took two unnecessary penalties in my opinion, that set us back a little bit,” the coach said.
Matthews was whistled for high sticking Chiarot, which brought a promising Leafs power play to a premature end. Later in the period, Domi was called for holding Jonatan Berggren in the offensive zone.
“That’s one thing we can definitely be better at [is] staying on the box, myself included,” Domi said.
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Stolarz did not take part in the team’s practice on Sunday.
“Just getting him some work alone with our goalie coach,” Berube explained. “He was a busy guy last night in net.”
Stolarz, who faced 33 shots on Saturday after seeing 31 on Wednesday, worked with goalie coach Curtis Sanford on a separate pad.
The Leafs will play their first back-to-back set of the season on Monday (Detroit) and Tuesday (Nashville) with both games at home. The goalie plan remains unclear.
“We got to chat about that,” Berube said. “[Cayden] Primeau’s practised well. He’s looked good. But, you know, we’ll see what happens.”
Joseph Woll remains away from the team on personal leave.
Primeau was picked up off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes last week and has started the season as the backup to Stolarz.
“I feel really good,” the 26-year-old told TSN. “That has been helped by everyone being so welcoming. It feels like I’ve been here forever.”
Primeau’s dad, former NHL forward Keith Primeau, grew up in Whitby, Ont. and still has lots of family in the area.
“He was pumped,” Cayden said. “He’s just a really big Toronto sports fan. He’s always been following the Blue Jays as well. Safe to say, he’s pretty pumped about the times right now.”
How many family members will be in attendance when Cayden makes his Leafs debut?
“I don’t even know,” he said with a laugh. “It would be a lot, I’ll tell you that much.”
Wayne Primeau, Cayden’s uncle, also played in the NHL and suited up for the Leafs in the 2009-10 season.
“I was able to watch him growing up and kind of experienced it that way,” Cayden said. “I know that I’m fortunate to have had a dad and uncle who played. Not everyone gets that opportunity and being around the locker room, being around that experience, you know, it’s huge.”
Keith and his wife settled down in the New Jersey area after he wrapped up his career with the Philadelphia Flyers. Stolarz is also from New Jersey and the goalies immediately bonded over geography.
“He’s from north Jersey,” Cayden pointed out with a smile. “That’s like a different state.”
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The Leafs went 0/2 on the power play in the opening game and also allowed a shorthanded goal. Toronto went 0/2 again on Saturday, but the coach feels they took a step in the right direction.
“I liked the power play last night,” Berube said. “We took the penalty when it was going pretty good. And then the next power play I thought was good too. We’re attacking, we’re shooting. Now can we still pass it and move it quicker? Yep. I’m always going to harp on that. I liked the power play last night, the directness, I thought that pucks were going at the net and we’re looking to get at it. So I want to just keep staying with that.”
The Leafs did not do any power play work during Sunday’s brisk 20-minute practice.
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Lines at Sunday’s practice:
Knies – Matthews – Cowan
Maccelli – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Domi – McMann
Joshua – Roy – Jarnkrok
Blais
McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Carlo
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
Myers
Primeau
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