Leafs need Engvall to get back on track
If Sheldon Keefe hasn’t sat down with Pierre Engvall for a heart-to-heart chat, then it’s a safe bet the Toronto Maple Leafs coach caught up with the struggling forward toward the end of a recent practice.
After bringing some invigoration to the Leafs lineup following his debut in the National Hockey League in November, Engvall — whose Leafs faced the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center on Friday night — had found himself in a rut in the past couple of months.
“I don’t know if hitting the wall is the right term,” Keefe said.
“But he is certainly not playing at the level he was when he first arrived here, and that really made a big difference to our team.
“He is a guy we need to get a lot more out of. I have talked to him about thinking a little bit less and skating and using his physical attributes to get on top of the puck and spend more time in the offensive zone, generate more shots and chances and being around the net. He has not been much of an offensive threat for us in that regard.”
On Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings, Keefe initially had Engvall on the wing on a line with captain John Tavares and William Nylander. Keefe didn’t like what he was seeing, however, and moved Denis Malgin to Tavares’ flank in the second period, demoting Engvall to the fourth line.
Though Ilya Mikheyev continues to work his way back from a lacerated wrist, he won’t be back for a few games yet, and with Andreas Johnsson (knee) done for the season, it’s imperative a player of Engvall’s ilk start to produce more often.
As Keefe noted, t he 23-year-old Engvall possesses the strength and the skating ability to be more effective than he has been.
In Engvall’s first 22 games in the NHL, he had 12 points ( seven goals and five assists). In his past 24 games prior to Friday, the 6- foot- 5, 214- pound Engvall had one goal and two assists.
“It’s hard to say (what has led to the difference in his play),” Engvall said. “I don’t know. You always have ups and downs, but you have to keep going and try to get better every day. Sometimes it doesn’t go that way, but you have to keep going. I’m learning every day.”
Since signing a two- year extension on Feb. 12, Engvall had one goal and no assists in 11 games.
One factor, perhaps, that could be an issue?
“Over time, you draw attention and people in the league know who you are and they take notice,” Keefe said. “When they are watching the pre-scout, you’re not just some guy being called up from the minors. They’re getting a sense of who you are, addressing the matchups accordingly.
“Not that I feel like he has got comfortable or anything like that, but it’s just natural to let your guard down a little bit, and the league is too good for that.”
WORKING OVERTIME
When the Leafs killed off a hooking minor to Tavares in overtime against the Kings, the defence pair of Travis Dermott and Justin Holl was on the ice for the full two minutes.
“It was cool, it was nice to be relied upon that way,” Dermott said. “Especially being in a situation you’re not in all the time, in the highest point of the game, it was a confidence boost. You have to trust yourself, trust the people around you.”
A blocked shot by Holl and some intensive forechecking by Zach Hyman — who Dermott called “an absolute beast” — were among the highlights as Tavares watched from the penalty box.
“How about that effort by Hymes in overtime?” Keefe said. “If that one ( scoring chance) ends up going in the net, it’s one for the ages. That effort was incredible.”
LOOSE LEAFS
The loss to the Kings marked the first time since March 10, 2012, that the Leafs dropped a 1- 0 decision in a shootout. It was the fourth time since the NHL introduced shootouts in 2005- 06 that the Leafs lost 1- 0 in that situation. The Leafs have never recorded a 1- 0 win in a shootout … The Leafs last week completed the necessary paperwork to make defencemen Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen, as well as Engvall, eligible to play for the Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup playoffs … One drawback with the injuries in the defence corps is the impact the absences have on the offence. Toronto misses Jake Muzzin’s shot from the point and Morgan Rielly’s ability not only to move the puck out of the defensive zone, but also his talent for creating chances once the Leafs get inside the opposition’s blue line. “Missing the defence that we are, a lot of the emphasis is on how it affects you defensively, but it affects you offensively too,” Keefe said.