Kirby doc comes out along with your eyes slapkovski
and
Rafael Harvey Bernard, against marner, Matthews,
Tyler Bertuzzi, the second game of the preseason for this line together.
Bertuzzi has played a little bit more with
other
forward groupings. Bertuzzi has got it here and he brings it back into the Canadian zone.
The norlander on the blue line for Montreal. Here's Bertuzzi
trying to center it. That blocked by
David Savard.
Matthews on it.
And that puck off will like it out. 1st game for Matthews and Marner.
Job and Keith
didn't mind their game but felt they were a little out of sync trying to get their legs a little out of sync but he also showed he played the heck out of him. Marner was over 26 and Matthews 25. But. So this is a rarity. Chris in.
Preseason here all the practices that they've had here. Players usually have no time to practice. It's all games. I think these guys would be excited to get in here
after spending so much of this training camp not in game like motion. And every one of them talking about trying to get that chemistry together with Virtusi as well. But kept in by miko kokinen is Pearson unable to get hit by him.
And now the
Canadians able to work it ahead. It'll be deflected down into the
Toronto zone by Sean Monahan, centering a third line tonight. Still talk to he might end up on the top line with Suzuki and Caulfield.
Alex Newhook not in the lineup for
Montreal. There's Benoit getting jarred
by Heinemann, a turnover deep.
And Mayhew trying to move the puck. Heinemann
sends it ahead, and now Jake Evans into the middle. The load and just side stepped a hit from Morgan Riley as he brought it in.
Here's Mayo
laying it off the
corner boards.
Malone
and there's with another good step up hit on TJ Brody.
Couple of early hits for
50 one of the Canadians.
Oh here's a line for the Canadians 2 guys are really an opportunity to try to stay in this lineup. Heinemann
with his physical play there early on
and Luna Luna is a guy that's really trying to look for that develop and take that next step for Marty St. Louis and big decisions over this last week and there's 2 of them playing on the same line.
Here comes Suzuki skating through center tracked by Domino comes back and we've got a penalty, a slashing call is upcoming and early power play.
No. It's Domi coming through the neutral zone as Suzuki just takes control of this puck and keeps his legs moving. Domi doesn't like the call. Does he get into the hands? I think his first time it didn't seem like the penalty the arm went up and by the 2nd and third into the hands of Suzuki Domi gets the call for an early power play here for Montreal Canadians. Out of penalty 13 seconds into his 1st preseason game and here in his 1st game in Toronto it's
just shy of 3 minutes in before he
hits to the box. Now such a rarity you play the same team 3 games in a row and one thing the Canadians have had trouble with against this leaf penalty kill is get anything going 0 for 11 in the 2 games in Montreal
and here just 3 minutes in they get a first opportunity up and here Matthews will start on the penalty kill Nick Suzuki he's got the buck get all come back to Norlander across
Rick White Suzuki
back over to Cottfield who couldn't take it cleanly.
The captain
working along the boards against McCabe
gets it back.
Matthews and Marner, the penalty killers. Norlander shoots, scores. It
hits somebody in front and beats Samson up. And there's a power play goal from Montreal.
Oh. Norlander does an excellent job at just making sure this one gets through and Kirby does a nice job of getting into the eyes. It might have either hit along the way or Brody in front, but quick pass on the backhand back to the point. And here, the the key is, oh, yeah, right off the knee there of McCabe as McCabe tried to play goaltender. Instead, he a piece of it. And, look, it's Samsonoff was there to make the save. And McCabe, with that deflection, goes back and underneath the blocker. Good job of Norlander, though, just sliding across on the top and making sure that one gets through to the net. Tough play for McCabe defensively
to get a piece of that and tip it in.
So 3 24 the time of the opening goal tonight Mathias Norland who played 6 games for the Canadians 2 years ago
without an NHL regular season goal.
Centering pass here at Matthews able to take control tracked by Slick Koski back to Virtusi
and now sent deep by McCabe.
Matthews behind the net.
Cycles it back. It reaches Marner in front trying to connect there with Bertozzi. Canadians away.
Dock off the boards and it'll slide down into the Toronto zone.
McKeeb unable to come up with that. So Koski across
dock.
Try to feed it back off the skate to marner
Kirby dock behind the net.
Trying to duck away from the checking of Matthews at easy club stop at the side of the cage for Samsonoff. Even the coach has taken it more like a regular season game. Even though you said Matthews starting a little bit of penalty kill, trying to get the momentum that goes right back to the top line. And these are the kind of things that you try to get after a goal against, get some offensive time. Now one does a nice job of getting a little piece of that pass across as Marner down low looking for Vertusi. And this is what this trio is trying to find. He said get into this game like motion and
whenever you have 2 talented
wingers in center that you're playing with. The challenge for Virtusi is where do I have to be. Where do I to go? And it seems, at times, easier said than done. It just takes a little time to get the natural read. You you look at how Matthews and Marner don't really even look for each other, look at each other. They know exactly where they're gonna be, and it will take a little bit of time in game like motion
to get comfortable there on the left side
Canadians skated in Broussard this morning
and took a flight into Toronto but they have arrived on time tonight and have the first six shots. Here's a look at the change of the Leafs left wingers this year. Well, you look at last year, but Matthews and Marner is all about Michael Bunting. And we all know what happened there. He's gone off to Carolina, but the opportunity now presents itself right off the bat even when that signing for 2 Z it kind of seemed like that was the natural fit. As you know Chris things could change pretty quickly but for 2 Z the challenge is okay. You want to be
the main guy to take that place of where bunting was last year.
Matthew Nye's on the ice the only player to play in all three of these
preseason games between the two teams in
a matter of 4 nights
never played more than 44 games so endurance is gonna be a test here
for Matthew Nye's. And you wonder if that's one of the reasons he is getting such a heavy workload.
Montreal moves out to center.
Malone,
and that'll be flopped and held by Samsonoff.
Well, you you mentioned for NICE, it it's the training and the experience that he had, not not only just playing at the end of the year and, you know, disappointed getting hurt in the playoffs,
got a real taste of what it's like to play real hockey. I mean, the difference between playoff hockey and regular season is is such a huge boost. And I think it just prepares you that much more when you get the opportunity to go through a whole training camp. You get the agenda from management and the coaching staff of what's expected. And he showed great maturity, and and I think he's had just an excellent training camp in a preseason.
Domi stepped in on that draw, lost his stick
up against Monahan on the face off.
Brody works the boards. Dobie helps out Morgan Riley ahead. He landed a step. Puts on the brakes. Riley followed up but couldn't get his stick on the puck.
Now Robertson,
who scored on Saturday night to Montreal
back to the line. Riley
across for Brody.
Here's t j Brody his shot blocked in first place of hard that hits Brody on the clear. He'll keep it in.
The lander unable to reach that.
And now the
Canadians up with it and ahead it goes for Brendan Gallagher
trying to hit Tanner Pearson.
Pearson deep in
leaf ice, both Toronto defensemen
surrounding him.
The former Perry Colt
holding it up there in the leaf zone.
Suzuki's moved in to help out. Now trying to
take it away from camp
and does.
Kicks a 3.
Gregor couldn't get a stick on it.
Kicked in by Kova Sebasovich.
And now Suzuki tried to center. Here's Anderson in front. Caulfield unable to get a stick on that.
Now Suzuki.
Caulfield had a couple of shots on Saturday. 9 shot attempts
up high as Josh Anderson.
Here's Coffield. Two goals in the
opening game of last year
against
Toronto.
Now bump back ahead. Caulfield at the line
moves in along with Suzuki
jumping up was to set it to go by him, and now crangers steps back the other way. Working against over. Jack, I score.
Gregor
surprises
Allen, and the game is tied
on the Leafs' first shot on goal.
Well, that's one for Allen that he he's gonna wanna have that one back. But Noah Gregor, another example of a guy getting an opportunity, coming in on a PTO, all kinds of pressure. Watch the big hit there by Anderson and a quick little pass by Reeves. But this is one just around the stick, and he's able to get it through and underneath the
glove. I think Gregor has been given every chance to try to find a place on this lineup, and you could see the reaction of Allen. A little deflection off of his defender's stick and never a bad thing. Use your speed to the outside to get a little separation and curled it in and able to get that shot on goal and Gregor gets his 1st goal of training.
Keep. Speaker 2: Said earlier we made it clear to him there's an opportunity and it looks like Gregor's made the most of it so far.
Here in his
5th preseason game now for the Maple Leaf. Isn't that the key. You give the kid the opportunity to play. I mean you don't want to be sitting watching these games if you're Noah Gregor on a PTO and to his credit
he's done a lot to be noticed when he's been out here. Here's Willoughton feeding it ahead for Tuesday unable to reel that in Harris will send it back across.
And here's the youngster Logan Mayhew who has earned good reviews for his work in the preseason. There's an icing call against Montreal.
So Norlander and Gregor,
the goal scores here in the opening period. It's 11.
There's a Molson with your name on it.
Marty Saluiz crew down to 28 on the roster now, and now the coach can get into more details of the game. Yeah. And you have to think for him, he's got to look as this season goes along and say, can I keep somebody's healthy? I mean, there's one thing, carrying your team down to try to get ready for the season. Last year, though, just injuries, such a big part of the story and not able to field the team that he would have liked and hopes that he can get a little bit more development out of this group. But you know one thing when you're a new coach yourself
you think of how you reacted when you were a youngster and when you look in front of him on the bench last year, so many rookies in the lineup and guys with injury playing higher than they can. It's all about protecting them. I think this year has to be more of development a little bit and pushing them a little bit harder. And I I think that's gonna be interesting to watch how Marty handles that scenario if this team stays healthy and gets a little traction.
You've got Sam Lafferty out along
with Nye's and Tavares.
Lafferty's had a good training camp. He'll work at a cross, and Mikko Kokener moved up. Speaking of good camp, Sheldon Keith said today that Kochena's been the surprise
of camp so far.
Here tonight with Simone Benoit. That puck vacuumed up by Allen with Lafferty crashing the net. Chris just getting back to Marty Saint Louis when you look at last year. I mean. These numbers are just incredible.
The amount of percent of time with rookie d man and.
Other than maybe goaltender is you know a rookie coming in the hardest is playing defense. I mean all the different reads that you have to have handling the pressure. And last year was just such a challenge for this team to handle it. I think the way the Jack guy was able to handle himself
was very solid and you got to figure this year will just be that much better because of that experience and hopefully
again a much more healthier line.
And that young blue line gets a little deeper with David Reinbacher, who has been sent back to Switzerland, but
got very positive notice for his first Canadians training camp. And Logan Mayhew in the lineup here tonight. Gallagher, one of the players that missed a lot of time with injury last year will be spooked in by Pearson.
Peter Pearson coming off an injury with Vancouver, which
happened in Montreal. That's kicked away by Samsonoff. Pearson on it. Look at that trio. Yeah. Gallagher,
Monahan,
and Pearson. All all at Delton.