The 0-1-0 Toronto Maple Leafs are in New Jersey to take on the 2-0-0 Devils on Thursday night, after losing 1-0 in their season opener to the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs outplayed the Habs on Wednesday, they just ran into a better goalie. The test doesn’t get any easier as Jacob Markstrom will be in the net for former Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe and the Devils.
There’s been no official word on who is getting the start between the pipes for Toronto, but after Stolarz played last night, it is safe to assume Dennis Hildeby will take the ice on Thursday. The puck drops at 7:00 pm EST.
Leafs Have No Time To Dwell On Loss
In the city of Toronto, it’s easy to get negative about the hockey team pretty quickly. They were shut out for the first time in 252 games, they were shut out in an opener for the first time since they lost 4-0 to the Canadiens in 2003. Joe Woll is already on the IR, they lost their first game with a new coach, and they are playing their old coach tonight who is 2-0 to start the season.
The truth is, the Leafs outplayed Montreal in almost every area, and they have a lot to like about their performance on Wednesday. Another truth is, it’s only one game and they have nothing to worry about. At least not yet. “We did enough to score, and put ourselves in a better position, but the puck didn’t go in,” new captain Auston Matthews said of his team’s performance. “There was a lot of good things we can take away from the game. It’s game one. You’d like to get off to a miraculous start and win the first game, but there were things we can build on.”
Leafs Came Up Short
As the game went on you could see the evidence of what Coach Berube is trying to instill in his team. Heavy forecheck, fewer cross-rink plays, and more north-south hockey. It wasn’t flawless, but it was there. “A lot of good stuff. When you get almost 50 shots on net and you don’t get a goal, their goalie played good.” Berube said after the game. “A lot of shots, but I thought the execution was off. Whether it was a shot or a pass, it just wasn’t clean enough.”
Rookie netminder, Dennis Hildeby, could be making his first NHL start on Thursday after Stolarz played last night. Hildeby was called up from the Marlies after Woll was placed on IR. Keefe never started Hildeby when the goalie was dressed for the Leafs, even in a back-to-back. We’ll see if Berube handles things differently and gives him a shot. Jacob Markstrom will be between the pipes for the Devils.
Keefe Gets An Early Chance To Face His Former Club
Sheldon Keefe was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs after another heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Bruins in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Both sides knew they would see each other this season, but the schedule makers got it over with quickly, as they play each other in the first week of the season.
When Keefe was asked about his emotional level heading into Thursday’s game, he downplayed the importance. “I like to believe that I’m focused and content enough with where I’m at that I’m not too concerned about anything else outside of the task of competing against one the league’s top teams,” Keefe explained to the New Jersey media.
Out of the 130 coaches who have coached at least 300 games, no one has a higher winning percentage than Sheldon Keefe’s .667%, who has only coached for the Leafs. Sure, back in the day they played fewer games, and there are other ways to discount that percentage. The fact of the matter is that he won a lot in Toronto, in the regular season, and is off to a great start in New Jersey. Keefe’s Devils won both games of the Global Series in Prague and will be hosting the Leafs in their home opener on Thursday.
Final Thoughts
There are a few storylines that could go a couple of different ways in Newark on Thursday. The Devils played in Europe over the weekend and have been home and waiting since Sunday. That could make for a team that is well- rested and ready to go against a Leafs team that had a tough matchup in Montreal on Wednesday. Maybe the Leafs’ legs get weak as the game goes on and Keefe’s Devils will take the upper hand.
On the other hand, maybe the extra rest means Keefe’s Devils get off to a slow start, and the Leafs are already warmed up. These are both very good teams looking for a deep playoff run in the spring. The Leafs have nothing to prove from now until then, but the Devils had an extremely disappointing year last year and need to show that they are for real.
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