Leafs load up for trip to Montreal
Regulars in lineup as regular-season draws near
TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock was blunt when asked how close the team is to being ready for the National Hockey League opener.
“Not close,” said Babcock. “The season starts Oct. 3. We have lots of work to do.”
The team’s top stars — Auston Matthews and John Tavares — acknowledged as much even as they sounded eager themselves to start playing for real.
“You’re itching to get going for sure,” Matthews said. “Training camp, it seems like going to Niagara was a month ago. It’s kind of going by slow. But at the same time opening night is just a week away.”
There are three exhibition games left and only two of them — tilts Wednesday in Montreal and Friday at home to Detroit — will feature mostly NHL lineups.
“I’d like to say I feel pretty good,” said Tavares, as he talked about getting through the dog days of training camp. “Everyone is excited for the regular season. Every year, you get to a point where you have to get a little bit over the hump in training camp. There is still a lot of preparation, a lot of work to be put in for opening night.”
Heading into the final week of camp, the team is not ready yet. The top lines are in disarray — no William Nylander, no Zach Hyman. The line chemistry is not quite what it could be.
Nylander, of course, remains out of the lineup as a restricted free agent without a contract. Hyman didn’t practise for the second day with a hip pointer injury.
So, while Matthews continued to skate with Patrick Marleau on his left wing and Tyler Ennis on his right, Tavares had Trevor Moore in Hyman’s place with Mitch Marner on the right wing.
Those are far from the lines dreamed up over the summer, but that’s the way things go sometimes.
“It’s just part of the game,” Tavares said of missing Hyman. “There are times guys miss a few days of practice. Guys miss a few games.
“I’d like to think wanting to be a really good player in this league and play at a very high level, you (have an) ability to adapt to the situation, who you’re playing with, finding ways to be productive and be counted on to do your job well.
“You just make the adjustments.” Matthews has seemed head-and-shoulders above the crowd since camp opened.
“The first game to the second game, (I felt) a lot better,” said Matthews. “You continue to feel more like yourself, more in game shape as the games go by. The last two games are really important to step it up a notch, and get the legs back under you and get into real game shape.
“You’re just really starting to dial it in. We’ve only got two more games probably until the regular season. It’s coming at you quick.”
Matthews plans to put the two games he’ll be in to good use regardless of who is on his wing.
“Just want to build some chemistry, get a feel for each other, create some scoring opportunities,” said Matthews. “Get a feel for each other, and get the thing rolling going into the regular season.
So, while it might be crunch time as far as evaluation goes, and the chemistry that might have been built will not be built with the absences of Nylander and Hyman, the coach professed to be not worried about the state of his lines.
“I can’t control it, so I’m not worried about it,” said Babcock, holding out hope Hyman will play in Montreal.
Only Nazem Kadri’s line — with Josh Leivo and Connor Brown — is intact of the top three. Those will likely be the lines on Wednesday when the Leafs take an NHLloaded lineup to Montreal. Meanwhile, goalie Frederik Andersen will play two of those games, Curtis McElhinney will get the other.
“We’ll get to see real players play against real players,” said Babcock.