Robertson earns more playing time
YOUNG FORWARD’S GOAL SPURT AFTER SCRATCHES KEEPS GIVING LEAFS AN OFFENSIVE BOOST
Sheldon Keefe didn’t have the pertinent information right in front of him Saturday night.
“I don’t know how many games it is now where he has been a scratch and come in and scored right away,” the Maple Leafs coach said, referring to Nick Robertson. “He gives us that sort of boost.”
Keefe’s inclination was correct.
Robertson’s goal in the second period of the Leafs’ 5-4 shootout loss against the Carolina Hurricanes marked the third time in 2023-24 that the 22-year-old scored in his first game after sitting out at least two in a row.
Furthermore, the goal was Robertson’s eighth of the season at 5-on-5. Only five Leafs — Auston Matthews (29), William Nylander (20), Mitch Marner (16), Matthew Knies (12) and John Tavares (11) — have more. And Robertson has played in 42 games, at least 20 fewer than each of those five teammates.
The challenge for Robertson has been taking that initial momentum and turning it into a sustained run of production. Still, it hasn’t been for lack of effort, and while Keefe continues to settle on lines with the injured Marner and Calle Jarnkrok recovering, there’s no reason to take Robertson out of the lineup when the Leafs return to Philadelphia on Tuesday to take on the Flyers.
If Keefe wants to get Ryan Reaves back in after the big right-winger was a healthy scratch on Saturday, the easier deletion from the lineup would be Noah Gregor. The latter brings energy in line with that of Robertson, but without the scoring touch. Of Gregor’s five goals, none have come in his past 28 games. Gregor has not scored since Dec. 16 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Robertson, who sat the previous six games and was demoted to the Toronto Marlies in a paper transaction, has earned a shot at getting another opportunity to jell with Tavares and Knies. The line had some good looks against Carolina and scored twice.
We’ll know of Keefe’s plans when the Leafs reconvene for practice on Monday after the players had a day off Sunday.
“Anyone in the lineup, you get more reps, more practices, more games, you just feel their style and you adapt to it,” Robertson said. “I’m happy to play with Johnny and hope we can get even more chemistry going and as well with Kniesy, too.”
Said Tavares of Robertson’s goal, which the captain set up with some hustle: “He just continues to chip away and work on his game and stay ready and do everything he can to maximize every opportunity. Great to see him get it.”
Robertson, now at nine goals and 11 assists with the Leafs this season, last week went public with his frustration at not playing regularly. He was a little more reflective on Saturday.
“You never know how your career is going to start, but it’s about how you go from that and how you finish,” Robertson said. “I’m not the first person that is going to go through injuries and the up-and-down type deal (with the Marlies).
“Hopefully, one day I can help someone out and know I have been in their situation. This is just the beginning. It’s never going to be smooth sailing, but hopefully it’s a little more smooth for me now than what it has been.”
LOOSE LEAFS
Tavares won 11 of his 17 faceoffs on Saturday, the 23rd time in 64 games that he won at least five more faceoffs than he lost. Before NHL games were played on Sunday, Tavares was third overall in faceoff percentage, sitting at an even 60 per cent.
The only time Tavares finished above 60 in his previous 14 seasons was 202122, when he ended at 60.6 . ...
Defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin’s seven hits were the most he has had in any of his seven games with Toronto since he was acquired from Anaheim, and tied the high he had in 55 games with the Ducks. This from someone who didn’t practise on Friday because he was banged up after absorbing, and dishing out, a couple of big hits in Philadelphia on Thursday.
To an extent, Lyubushkin reminds us of Dmitri Yushkevich, who had a high pain threshold when he patrolled the Leafs blue line from 1995-2002. The rugged Yushkevich never met a hit he didn’t like, whether he was giving it or receiving it.
Max Domi’s seven shots on goal versus the Hurricanes marked a season high for the forward. His previous high was five, done twice and both times against the Vegas Golden Knights.