The Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-0) have lived up to expectations through four games, and look to keep the good vibes rolling as the New York Rangers (3-0-1) come to Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. In the off-season, the Leafs made a concerted effort to upgrade the goaltending and the defense. Even though the sample size is small, both of those units have been why the Leafs have lost only one game. Still, the first real test waits for Toronto on Saturday as the reigning President’s Trophy winners come to town. The puck drops at 7:00 pm EST.
Toronto Maple Leafs Keeping Pucks Out to Start Season
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the best goal-scoring teams in the NHL for a long time now. Starting with Auston Matthews, the Leafs have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to creating offense and putting the puck in the back of the net. Ironically, it’s the offense that lets them down in the playoffs, but that’s another subject altogether.
On the flip side, it’s the defense and goaltending that seems to be a giant question mark every year, and GM Brad Treliving worked hard at changing that question mark into a period. So far, it’s paying off, starting with the increase in size at the blue line. “You’ve got to be careful you’re not just chasing size,” Treliving said of his additions. “The reality is that length, it’s hard to get around. They take away space and have the ability to keep that (net) are clean and just be able to kill plays, and have that long stick and reach that make it difficult for opponents to create offence.”
Chris Tanev, only six-foot-two, may not be the biggest guy, but considering his partner, Morgan Rielly, used to be the tallest at six-foot-one, that’s already an upgrade. The d-pair has allowed only one goal 5-on-5 in the 47:06 minutes they’ve been on the ice together. While newcomer Ekman-Larsson has been on the ice with Jake McCabe, the Toronto Maple Leafs have outsored their opponents 3-0 at 5-on-5. They’ve been on the ice together for 43:17 minutes. As a whole, the Leafs have outscored their opponents 14-7, with the seven goals allowed being 3rd best in the NHL.
By adding Tanev and Ekman-Larsson, not only are you adding two Stanley Cup-caliber defensemen, you’re also slotting the d-men you already have into a better position for them to succeed. Simon Benoit had a terrific year with the Leafs last year, and now that he’s permanently on the third line, he’s in a position where he plays the bottom half of the opponents roster and doesn’t need to do to much.
McMann Stays In, Pacioretty Out On Saturday
To start the season, in Montreal, Max Pacioretty was in the lineup, making Bobby McMann the odd man out. The next night, in New Jersey, McMann was in and Reeves was out. McMann promptly scored the first goal of the game and hasn’t been out of the lineup since. He has 3 goals and is a +5 in his three games in the lineup. Pacioretty is set to miss his second straight game as a healthy scratch, while Reeves is back in the lineup.
When asked about being scratched, Pacioretty didn’t shy away from the question. “I’m dealing with it the best I can, just work. — Would I rather be playing? Of course, anyone would rather be playing, but at the same time, I know I can help the team, even when I’m not playing. I had a good workout out here, and I’ll just keep working on my game.”
For Coach Berube, it was nothing but business. “Just a decision I made, that’s it,” Berube said when asked about the situation. “There’s no message. We have guys, we have extra players and not everybody can play every night. That’s the bottom line.”
In the long run, this is a good thing, and a smart move for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Max Pacioretty alike. The 36-year-old veteran has missed significant time over the last three seasons due to injury, including all but five games in 2022-23. His biggest asset, his goal scoring, will be needed in the playoffs. The Leafs can afford for him to miss time, and Max can afford to stay healthy. It’s the playoffs that count in Toronto.
Final Thoughts
Anthony Stolarz is set to make his fourth on Saturday night, and has undoubtedly been one of the best, if not the best, storyline for the Toronto Maple Leafs through two weeks. Stolarz was always going to make the team this year, but with Joe Woll starting the season on the IR, Stolarz has made the most of his opportunity, to the point where, when Woll comes back, Stolarz has earned the right to keep the No. 1 job. The 30-year-old vet is 2-1-0, with a 1.70 goals against average and a .940 save percentage.
Another roster note is the insertion of Connor Timmins back into the lineup in place of Timothy Liljegren. Liljegren played his first game of the season on Wednesday against the Kings, and finds himself back in the Press box on Saturday. There are plenty of rumors swirling around that the $3 million defensive will be traded soon. Until that is proven true, he will wait patiently until his next opportunity, even if it is not with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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