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Anticipate the sudden in a pre-season NHL recreation.
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However there have been too many surprises for head coach Craig Berube in Sunday’s debut behind the Maple Leafs bench, delight at newcomers getting on the scoreboard, shock on the careless play of his crew.
With a veteran-heavy lineup at Scotiabank Enviornment whereas the Ottawa Senators saved some huge names for the rematch at dwelling on Tuesday, the Leafs wanted an extra-man purpose from William Nylander to power extra time, then misplaced 6-5 on a Carter Yakemchuk solo rush after Toronto’s high weapons held the puck for 2 and a half minutes.
An earlier three-goal third-period rally that featured two by 35-year-old Max Pacioretty, unravelled when Ottawa continued in a push that uncovered some defensive shortcomings. Donovan Sebrango and Cole Reinhardt, along with his second of the sport, supplied the go-ahead margin.
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New defenceman and Toronto native Chris Tanev triggered the Leafs first purpose to make it 1-1, placing Mitch Marner in movement to arrange Matthew Knies. Tanev, with 17 assists all final season in Calgary and Dallas, had three helpers on the night time.
However after the Knies purpose, the Leafs misplaced the puck at Ottawa’s line and by no means did appropriate the numerical drawback earlier than Reinhardt lastly jammed it previous Joseph Woll.
Toronto’s starter was underneath siege for 22 photographs, giving up a 3rd purpose to one-time Leaf Adam Gaudette, left open within the slot, earlier than Matt Murray arrived midway by means of the second interval as scheduled. The Leafs gave up greater than 30 photographs on the night earlier than 14,531, a lower than offered out home.
Berube needs to ascertain managed aggression by his crew and as an alternative acquired a first-minute high-sticking penalty to Knies. Woll stopped three photographs on the kill, however Toronto was slightly lax fielding a dump-in and Nikita Grebenkin couldn’t shut on Jan Jenik within the slot.
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Woll additionally acquired throughout to make a few stops on a 4-on-3 when Timothy Liljegren was referred to as for high-sticking after Morgan Rielly and Reinhardt went off for roughing. He additionally acquired a glove on Drake Batherson’s crease tip as Rielly served the third stick foul of the body.
Assistant coach Lane Lambert, the brand new penalty-killing architect of a unit that completed within the backside third of the league, had each previous and new faces within the combine. He leaned on Tanev, Calle Jarnkrok, the two-way duo of Auston Matthews and Marner, rogue Ryan Reaves and farmhand Jacob Quillan.
Not stunning that Reaves was within the pre-season’s first combat, taking exception to a shove from behind by Sebrango. The second bout was extra of a shock, Russian rookie Grebenkin getting a few photographs on Gaudette, then elevating his arms to pump the gang.
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Everybody wished to see what the opposite new assistant, Marc Savard, had in retailer this night time for the ability play, which needed to ponder an extended summer season with a 1-for-21 slide towards Boston within the playoffs. The wait for his or her first Ottawa minor was lengthy sufficient, however the guests had been as much as the problem of conserving the returning No. 1 group of Matthews, Marner, John Tavares, Nylander and Rielly to the surface with their puck motion.
Berube cautioned individuals after Sunday morning’s skate to not learn too deeply into any energy play experimentation this month. However the first unit redeemed itself on a Matthews’ purpose as a part of the comeback, Marner hustling to maintain the puck in, Tavares with a pleasant blind backhand go.
Pacioretty, Max Domi and Easton Cowan appeared on the second unit in restricted time with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In his 5-on-5 debut with the Leafs after restoration from Achilles tendon issues, Pacioretty had the Leafs’ first shot on purpose earlier than the Sens blanketed the Blue and White and went up 11-1 in that division.
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After enjoying Pontus Holmberg between Pacioretty and Grebenkin to this point in camp, Berube moved Tavares into Holmberg’s spot as a part of going with as lots of his finest as potential. A shorter six-game pre-season slate provides much less wiggle room to arrange for opening night time in Montreal on Oct. 9.
ICE CHIPS
There was a pre-game video salute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, with a 13-second second of silence … It was Matthews’ first recreation carrying the ‘C’ and he had a few chats with the referees on shut calls towards the Leafs … Including to Tanev’s measurement on the blueline was 6-foot-7 Cade Webber in his NHL debut after signing final yr out of the NCAA.
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