‘Super intense’ scrimmage a hit
NIAGARA FALLS— If you don’t think players take scrimmaging seriously, then consider Nazem Kadri’s comments after his Team Kennedy beat Auston Matthews’ Team Horton and John Tavares’ Team Apps over the weekend at the Maple Leafs’ training camp.
“We won. We’re happy. We’re the best team in camp,” Kadri said after the games at the Gale Centre. “We’ll take that every time. Undefeated. We built some nice chemistry. It was super competitive, super intense.”
Kadri played mostly with Connor Brown and Josh Leivo, plus Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey on defence. Leivo scored in regulation and the shootout as he pushes for a job. “I thought Leivo worked hard,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “Leivo has ability. He’s got to work hard each and every day. He’s got to find a way to win a job.”
Team Horton went 1-1, Team Apps 0-2. The Leafs plan to take Monday off.
ENNIS THE MENACE: Tyler Ennis is the biggest beneficiary of the Leafs’ stalled contract talks with William Nylander, taking the young Swede’s spot on Matthews’ right wing.
“We played pretty well for a couple of games,” said Ennis. “Matthews is fun to watch. Sometimes he gets into a tight space but always seems to come out with it, do some crazy stuff. Definitely a pleasure to play with.”
Ennis scored off a terrific feed from Matthews, while Matthews again scored in a shootout on Sunday.
“The more we play together, the more the chemistry builds,” said Ennis. NEWFOUNDLAND NEXT: While talking about holding training camps in non-NHL cities, as the Leafs have done in Niagara Falls and Halifax over the past few years, Babcock let it slip that the team wants to go to Newfoundland next year.
“This (Gale Centre in Niagara Falls) and when we went to Nova Scotia, and next year when we go to Newfoundland, all these things are fantastic for the people there,” the coach said. “It’s great for our players. It’s nice to be appreciated. Obviously we have a huge fan base.”
St. John’s is home to the Newfoundland Growlers, now the Leafs’ affiliate in the ECHL. LUCAN BOUND: Eight Leafs regulars will play in the first exhibition game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday in Lucan, Ont., just outside London: John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Zach Hyman, Kadri, Rielly, Hainsey, Brown and Leivo. Tavares, Marner and Kadri have ties to the area, having played for the OHL’s London Knights. FIRST CUTS: Goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo and forward J.J. Piccinich were among 17 players assigned to the AHL Marlies’ camp in the Leafs’ first round of cuts. The camp roster is down to 26 forwards, 16 defencemen and four goaltenders. Another eight have been reassigned to their junior teams, including goalie Ian Scott (Prince Albert). Defenceman Jesper Lindgren is on loan to HPK of the Finnish league.