Playoff berth, roster reload raise bar, Leaf Mcclement says
Roberts boot camp workouts sure sign training camp’s near . . . and expectations are high
KEVIN MCGRAN Jay McClement says the Maple Leafs are going to be the hunted, not the hunters.
After making the playoffs in April, the veteran forward says the 2013-14 version of the Maple Leafs won’t surprise teams as often as in the lockout-shortened season.
“I think a lot of teams weren’t expecting much (from us) last year and we played hard,” said McClement, working out in Toronto after spending most of the summer in Kingston. “That’s something we’re going to have to live up to right at the start of the season.
Add to that the pressure from the fans. They got a taste of playoff action and loved every second — well, not the last
“It’s a tough one to swallow. It still is.”
JAY MCCLEMENT ON LEAFS’ PLAYOFF DEMISE
two minutes or so. That adds to a sense of excitement with training camp just three weeks away.
“There are higher expectations, for sure, from the outside as well as from ourselves,” McClement added. “That’s something we’re going to have to adjust to. There wasn’t a lot of people who picked us last year to make the playoffs. I’m sure that will be expected of us this year.”
McClement says he’s met new Leafs Dave Bolland and David Clarkson and is eager to see what they bring to the table.
“I got to know both a little bit. Great additions on and off the ice,” he said of his new teammates. “Good guys for a young team. I definitely think we got better. Both are guys that play with grit and sandpaper.”
As for that bitter end to the playoffs — blowing a three-goal third-period lead against Boston in Game 7 before losing in overtime — that’s an experience to learn from, McClement says now.
“It’s a tough one to swallow. It still is. It’s something we’re going to have to live with, own up to. It’s on us. It’s not going to go away. We’ll have to react the right way and hopefully learn from it.”
The Leafs open rookie camp Sept. 4 in London, Ont., with the main camp starting Sept. 9 in Toronto. McClement skated with a handful of players last week at the MasterCard Centre. This week, he has joined about 40 other pros at Gary Roberts’ Biosteel camp.
Roberts’ intense mid-August fitness camp reminds all that hockey season is not to far off.
“I’ve done some pretty intense skates in Brampton and Oakville,” said Sabres centre Cody Hodgson. “It always feels like Biosteel is the next step before camp. It’s good to get things rolling, get into a tense environment. It gets everyone geared up.”
Pittsburgh’s James Neal hopes to get a jump on preparation for next week’s Canadian Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.
“I just want to go in with the right mindset,” Neal said. “It’s a different game on big ice. It’s a big change. You’re going to have to adjust to different roles and do different things. The players that are going to make that (Olympic) team are going to be players who can adjust to new situations.”
Former Leaf Mike Komisarek, who be- came a dad for the first time in May, is gearing up for a fresh start in Carolina. He signed a one-year deal with the Hurricanes after being bought out by the Maple Leafs four years into a five-year deal.
“It’s amazing when people write you off, put you in a box and put a label on you,” Komisarek said. “It’s exciting to try to prove people wrong. I’ve had a great summer, new one born in May. Puts a different perspective on things.
“I’ve got that same sort of feeling I had when I was a rookie. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air, go down there and just play. Don’t worry about anything. No expectations. I feel like I’m going to my first training camp.”