Foligno’s comfort growing playing with the big guns
Acollision with Auston Matthews in practice on Monday didn’t cloud Nick Foligno’s impression of the Maple Leafs’ top centre.
And Foligno has come away fascinated with what he has witnessed in his other talented Leafs linemate, Mitch Marner, as well.
“I love the way they see the game,” Foligno said after the Leafs practised at the Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday.
“How offensive-minded they are, how smart they are as players, it’s evident every time you step on the ice against them (when he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to being acquired by the Leafs).
“But to hear their terminology, or the way they look at the game, it has been fun to have that behind-the-scenes look. I’m enjoying that and just trying to bring my game along with them and getting that chemistry going. It’s a work in progress.”
Foligno went for a spill when he and Matthews accidentally crashed into each other on Monday, but quickly popped up and had a laugh over the friendly bump.
“Probably for Auston more than me,” Foligno said when it was suggested observers were holding their collective breath in the seconds after the hit.
The incident reminded Foligno of the player Matthews, in his fifth season in the National Hockey League, has become.
“He’s a big man,” Foligno said. “He’s no longer a kid. He’s got the strength and I felt it. That’s probably the hardest I have been hit in a long time.
“I think he’s just realizing that about himself — how dominant he is with the puck, but also with his body, and you can see the way he can take over games with his size and strength and ability with the puck. It’s a dangerous combination when you have a guy as big as him that can skate that well and hold on to the puck. It’s fun to for me to see firsthand.”
With two games in the books with Toronto, Foligno is getting more comfortable.
The expectation might be that Zach Hyman will return to the flank with Matthews and Marner once Hyman recovers from a sprained knee, but for now, Foligno is finding his way with the Leafs’ best two players.
“I would say (the chemistry) has been good, especially defensively,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “They’ve really connected that way. That’s something I had expected Nick to bring. Offensively, it’s going to take a little bit of time. Auston and Mitch are going to be the drivers in that regard and I think Nick will find his place within that.”
The adjustment for Foligno, who had been with Columbus since 2012 and was its captain since 2015, has multiple layers.
“I’m not really a picky guy, but I guess I’m probably driving the trainers nuts, (because) I’ve never had a second set of gear in the NHL,” Foligno said. “I’m old school. I’ve had my same shoulder pads and shin pads from when I started, so I’m not really used to the new gear, which has been an adjustment.
“I’m always trying to work on little things in my game and right now it’s just the timing with the guys on the ice. (Systems-wise), the way (the Leafs) play is fast, with a lot of transition and they get going quick. When I’m coming out of the zone or getting into the zone, the spots that I need to be are a little bit different than what we had in Columbus.”
When he looks around the room or down the bench, Foligno is encouraged by what he sees, whether it’s the leadership of captain John Tavares, the veteran savvy in Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza and Jake Muzzin or the general upbeat attitude among all the players.
Foligno thinks the Leafs “have a chance to do something special.”
And for the time being, he’s happy to be taking steps with Matthews and Marner.
“They always have a plan every time they step on the ice,” Foligno said. “It just shows how engaged they are and how big of a difference they want to make. That’s so impressive, and the reason why they’ve led this team.”