Leaf notes: Take a look at vs. Tampa Bay setting for crew’s first Monday present

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The Maple Leafs possibly aren’t prepared for prime-time rivalry of their convention this early, however they’re happening Prime Monday Night time Hockey.

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Toronto and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning are featured in Week 2 of the NHL’s latest try at appointment viewing, a nationwide broadcast with digital-only streaming. With Sidney Crosby and the improved Montreal Canadiens because the hook, final Monday’s debut noticed the Penguins win 6-3 on the Bell Centre. The Prime crew had performed their run-through at Scotiabank Area throughout an earlier Leaf sport.

The 26 video games are testing Amazon’s anticipated entry into bidding for the NHL’s Canadian TV rights when the present cope with Rogers is up in 2026 and no expense is spared with manufacturing. Veteran play-by-play man John Forslund (Hartford, Carolina, Seattle) and analysts Jody Shelley, Thomas Hickey, and Shane Hnidy are dealing with on-ice motion, the desk anchored by Adnan Virk, Andi Petrillo, Blake Bolden and native visitors. Corridor of famer Mark Messier shall be on the present sporadically.

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The Leafs are making 5 appearances in all. Prime is a very fashionable subscription service already in Canada, thus the league hopes there received’t be a lot backlash when followers who aren’t signed up search for the sport Monday. The package deal features a Thursday night time league information and knowledge present much like the NFL’s and entry to the brand new Faceoff: Contained in the NHL characteristic collection.

Whereas it’ll take some getting used to in comparison with venerable Hockey Night time in Canada and the acquainted weekday regional broadcasts of Sportsnet and TSN, the league is hoping to lure a youthful tech savvy demographic, particularly poolies and informal followers.

BOLT STATEMENT

It was a sobering loss for the Leafs on Saturday after they skated with the deep New York Rangers a lot of the night time, however misfired on three energy performs and a late 6-on-5.

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The eventual 4-1 loss of their greatest take a look at to this point put their file at 3-2, whereas the dance card doesn’t get any simpler with the Bolts (3-1) as a part of a back-to-back with Columbus. The latter heralds three street video games within the subsequent 4, taking the Leafs to Winnipeg and Boston.

“We’ve been at dwelling quite a bit,” famous defenceman Morgan Rielly “It’s good to have some breaks between video games (six days off in whole) and apply time, however the guys need to get taking part in and get ready for that more durable a part of the schedule.”

The Lightning misplaced 5-4 in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon and what’s going to really feel uncommon about this match is the absence of Steven Stamkos, a GTA native and large a part of the rivalry since 2008, together with two playoff collection. He was critically wooed by the Leafs as a free agent a number of years in the past and is now in Nashville with one objective in 5 video games. But Tampa Bay, below new captain Victor Hedman, retains a lot of its energy.

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UNDER-STUDIES GET THEIR BREAK?

Coach Craig Berube remains to be determining what suits finest on his roster, however there are combined outcomes on who’s benefiting from their possibilities.

Count on extra turnover given the necessity to relaxation some gamers within the glut of video games arising, as Berube retains regulars and replacements on their toe picks.

Whereas Anthony Stolarz has warranted nearly all of begins in internet throughout injured Joseph Woll’s absence, defenceman Timothy Liljegren has been scratched 4 of 5 video games. If any blueliner is available in later within the week it is perhaps massive Philippe Myers, who has but to play.

Winger Max Pacioretty sat his second sport on Saturday and Berube’s tinkering with the third line will probably proceed. Nick Robertson closed coaching camp with a bang — 5 consecutive objectives — however has but to register some extent in 5 regular-season contests.

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In the meantime, Berube had this to say Saturday about Pontus Holmberg, who’s a part of ta sturdy penalty kill crew, however has one help in 5 video games regardless of an excellent third-line centre in John Tavares and a fleet winger in Robertson.

“He got here out and had a extremely good camp (however) to me, he’s bought to battle a bit tougher for pucks and hold on to pucks like he was in camp within the offensive zone. Simply stand up to hurry, he appears to be like a bit behind proper now.”

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ODD MAN ODDITIES

One factor the Lightning and Leafs share to date this month is a lull in power-play manufacturing.

Each had been at an unsatisfactory 12.5% as of Sunday morning at 2-for-16. The Leafs lamented not getting in entrance of Igor Shesterkin much more Saturday, given he’s already one of many league’s finest goalies and know that if Andrei Vasilevskiy begins Monday, the tall Tampa ‘tender has nice imaginative and prescient via site visitors.

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On the constructive facet, Toronto’s rotating killer forged was once more in good type Saturday and is 17-for-20 on the 12 months.

“It’s our consideration to element,” mentioned Stolarz. “We’re doing a extremely good job forcing groups to remain to the skin, our sticks are in lanes and actually not permitting them many good possibilities on these cross-seam performs.

“Now we have the blocked pictures and actually good strain up ice to not permit them to interrupt in simply. When groups are rimming it (dumping it within the Leafs zone with no higher possibility), I’m in a position to play it and try to ice it. That’s on us, forcing them to make dangerous performs.”

Berube reminded “there have been a pair (Saturday) the place our goalie needed to make a fairly good play.”

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