Still ‘lots of work to do’ ahead of Oct. 3 opener
Auston Matthews and John Tavares are keen to get into games that matter.
Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock was blunt when asked how close the team is to being ready for the NHL opener.
“Not close,” Babcock said. “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 to start playing for real.
“You’re itching to get going, for sure,” said Matthews. “Training camp, it seems like going to Niagara was a month ago. It’s 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 — 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 acontract. Hyman didn’t practise for the second straight day because of a hip pointer.
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. Not exactly 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 your job well. “You just make the adjustments.” Matthews has seemed head-andshoulders 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.”