Leafs - Pre-Season Games - September 2017

Leafs @ Ottawa Senators 2-6 - Monday, September 18
In their first game of the pre-season - and with a roster that was a mixture of NHL mainstays and youngsters trying to earn a spot on the squad - the Leafs found themselves trailing 2:20 into the opening period after a misjudged line change led to a delayed-penalty goal by Senators winger Ty Randell.
Discipline proved to be an issue just 2:05 later, as Ottawa winger Mike Hoffman beat goalie Curtis McElhinney for a power play marker to double the home side's lead. And the Sens made it 3-0 at the 7:08 mark on Hoffman's second of the night. This certainly wasn't the start Toronto head coach Mike Babcock envisioned, but resilience was a hallmark of his team last season, and as the new group gained familiarity among themselves, he no doubt expected some bumps in the road in pre-season.

The Leafs got their first man advantage with 1:23 left in the first period, and Toronto wasted no time, as sophomore centre Auston Matthews took a crisp cross-ice pass from linemate William Nylander and roofed it past veteran Craig Anderson just 11 seconds into the power play to cut the Senators' lead to 3-1.
However, 35 seconds later, the Buds experienced another defensive miscue, and on an odd-man rush, winger J-G Pageau lifted the puck to teammate Mark Stone, who put Ottawa back up by three goals heading into the first intermission. Matthews made a habit of scoring Toronto's first goal of the game last year, and although this one was another thing of beauty, the Leafs needed to be more focused on the ensuing faceoff. In this instance, they weren't, and the Sens made them pay.

Toronto turned up the heat on the Senators in the second - outshooting Ottawa 11-8 in the period - but the only goals of that frame came in the final 3:43: winger Gabriel Gagne knocked the puck past netminder Garret Sparks (who replaced McElhinney at the 11:33 mark of the period) at 16:17; and at 17:42, blueliner Cody Ceci increased the lead to 6-1. The Buds did themselves few favors through the first 40 minutes, as defensive assignments were missed and lines of communication were crossed - and again, this Senators team, even in the pre-season, has a slew of veterans who can do damage when given enough opportunity.
The Buds had a tough hole to get out from under in the third, and discipline continued to be a problematic area in the final regulation period: winger Zach Hyman was called for slashing 3:37 into the frame, and less than three minutes later, Hyman went back to the penalty box for the same infraction and winger Eric Fehr was called for roughing at the same time. Ottawa's Zack Smith also received a slashing minor, so the Leafs only had to kill off a 5-on-4 Sens man advantage, but that was the Senators' fifth power play of the night, and that's far too many in a league where special teams have a major impact on the final result of most contests.

All in all, the Leafs had two slashing minors and two faceoff violation minors called against them - two areas in which the league is taking a harder stance on this season - and though the Sens scored only on one of them, there was virtually no chance they could come back from a big deficit when they were regularly playing a man short. Nylander did score with 2:55 left in regulation time when he converted a one-timer shot on the power play, but by that point, it was much too late to pull even.
The provincial rivals have a natural dislike for one another, and as the game unfolded, emotions beween the two sides began to boil. That will likely make the rematch between the clubs Tuesday at Air Canada Centre a little more hotly-contested, even though the lineups will be notably different as Babcock and Sens counterpart Guy Boucher experiment with new faces and alternate line combinations.
Still, it's easy to see why there's enmity between these franchises. The provincial link provides the key reasoning, but there's also a divisional rivalry that factors in, and veterans of previous battles never forget what went down in the past. Tuesday's game will probably be at least as chippy as this one got late in the evening, but once that one ends, it won't take long before they're back at it: the Leafs and Sens will see each other again in Toronto's eighth regular-season game this year - Oct. 21 in Canada's capital city in a Saturday night showdown.

Ottawa Senators @ Leafs @ 5-2 - Tuesday, September 19
After the Leafs opened their pre-season schedule Monday with a 6-2 loss to the Senators in Ottawa, the two teams squared off again - only this time, in the Buds-friendly confines of the ACC. And although the Sens again scored the first goal of the night Tuesday when Logan Brown beat Frederik Andersen on a power play 4:28 into the opening frame, Toronto settled down shortly thereafter and grabbed their first lead of the pre-season as they headed into the first intermission.
The game-tying goal came at 11:26 of the first, and it came from new Leaf Patrick Marleau, who broke in alone to the left side of netminder Mike Condon and snapped a shot up and over him for his first goal in a Toronto uniform. The ACC crowd - who gave Marleau a solid ovation when he was introduced prior to the game - was thrilled to see the veteran score, and they were even happier approximately six minutes later, when Marleau was part of a Buds 5-on-3 power play that led to winger James van Riemsdyk connecting for his first of the pre-season to make it 2-1 Leafs at the 17:09 mark.
Considering the Leafs finished the first period of Monday's game trailing the Senators 4-1, this was a vastly improved performance to start the evening.

        

Toronto outshot Ottawa 17-9 through the first 20 minutes of play, but the Senators played a tighter second period, limiting the Leafs' second chances and playing the body more effectively. In addition, the Buds gave the Sens two more power play opportunities - bringing the total number of Ottawa man advantages to six through two periods - and on the Senators' final power play of the frame, defenseman Fredrik Claesson wired a shot past Anderson at the 15:52 mark to tie the score at two goals apiece. To be fair, virtually all pre-season games have featured a parade of penalties as officials underscore new standards on rules such as faceoff violations and slashing. That said, as was the case Monday, Toronto simply surrendered too many man advantages to the Sens, and the fact both of Ottawa's goals through 40 minutes came with the extra man says it all about the importance of special teams - and keeping your opponent from getting on the power play in the first place.
The Buds had some golden opportunities to regain the lead in the third period - including a 5-on-3 man advantage at the beginning of the frame - but they hit a couple posts and were denied thanks to a few solid saves by netminder Marcus Hogberg. The Senators made the most of their defensive stops, and after defenceman Erik Burgdoerfer stepped out of the penalty box midway through the frame, he took the puck into Toronto's zone and began a scoring sequence that he finished himself, netting his first of the pre-season to put the Sens ahead for the first time Tuesday at 10:31 of the third.
The Leafs had all sorts of pressure on Ottawa in the final frame, outshooting the Senators 15-6 (and 40-26 on the night), but the visitors capitalized on their chances and had some good fortune on their side. That was the difference in this one.
Leafs head coach Mike Babcock pulled netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo (who took over for Andersen at the start of the third period) late in the third, and the Senators quickly pounced, getting two empty-net markers to lock up the victory for the win. It was an anticlimatic end for Leafs fans, but overall, the effort was an improvement on Monday's game, and Leafs Nation needs to remember the core of the team still hasn't played together for a full contest. That's coming, and Toronto's play is sure to improve as teammates get familiar with one another.
The Buds' pre-season hasn't began ideally, but this is the time of the hockey calendar when kinks are worked out and lessons are taught by the coaching staff, and Babcock and his staff understand they've got work to do with the players for the remaining six games of Toronto's pre-season.
That schedule continues Friday with a special game between the Buds and Buffalo Sabres in the intimate environment of Ricoh Coliseum, and the two teams head down to Buffalo the following night to square off at KeyBank Center. By that point, Babcock will be juggling lines, making cuts to the roster and slowly-but-surely putting together the team that will start the regular season Oct. 4 in Winnipeg. And Leafs Nation will continue building their excitement for the year to come.

Buffalo Sabres @ Leafs 0-3 - Friday, September 22

Playing in front of a full house of 8,178 in the home of their American League affiliate Marlies team, the Leafs came out of the gate flying, and put up a barrage of shots - including a breakaway shot from centre Auston Matthews - on Sabres netminder Linus Ullmark, outshooting Buffalo 14-6 through the first 20 minutes of action. However, Ullmark was sharp, and the two teams entered the first intermission tied at 0-0.
The Leafs came into the game 0-2 in their pre-season schedule and part of the reason for that was a steady stream of players headed to the penalty box. (In fairness, this was true of most NHL teams as they adjusted to a new set of standards for slashing and faceoff violations.) But Toronto took only one minor penalty in the first, while Buffalo was assessed two minors; the Buds' discipline was coming around, and as a result, their opponent's chances were limited.  

The Leafs didn't let up in the least once the second period began, and forced the Sabres into a slashing call at 3:09 of the frame. On the ensuing power play, defenceman Morgan Rielly picked the puck up just inside Toronto's blueline, moved it quickly up and through the center of the rink, split Buffalo's defenders inside their zone, and unleashed a sizzling wrist shot past the glove side of Ullmark to give the Buds the game's first lead at the 3:43 mark. Once again, the Leafs dominated on possession, getting eight shots on the Sabres' net in the first half of the second period (to only three for Buffalo in that span), and they were rewarded for it thanks to Rielly's slick individual effort. 

 
Toronto used their speed and skill to pressure Buffalo into giving them five power play opportunities through the first 40 minutes, and the Sabres had even trouble keeping up with them in the third, taking three minors in the first 6:45 of the final regulation period to boost the Leafs' total number of man advantages to eight before the third was halfway over (and nine in total).
Ullmark had to be at his best to keep the Buds' lead at a single goal, but Toronto constantly had the puck in the visitor's zone - and when they didn't have it, they were taking it to the Sabres with a robust physical attack. This was the Leafs' best showing of the pre-season by far, and it showed in their energy, cohesion and the constant waves of attack that kept Buffalo on their heels most of the night.
Goalie Curtis McElhinney turned aside all 14 Sabres shots he saw through two periods, and Garret Sparks, his replacement to start the third frame, also was solid at an arena he's called home for the past two seasons. Sparks didn't see much action - Buffalo only managed four shots in the final period - but he ensured Rielly's goal stood up as the game-winner and teamed with McElhinney to post a shutout. Can't ask for more from your goaltenders than that.
The Sabres pulled Ullmark with just under two minutes left in regulation and Buffalo got a couple of chances to tie things up, but the Leafs cleared the zone and winger Leo Komarov won a race for the puck before firing it into the empty net to make it 2-0 and effectively seal the victory for the home side. Sabres coach Phil Housley went back to a six-man attack immediately after Komarov scored, and once again, the Leafs responded with a goal when winger William Nylander posted an empty-netter with 10 seconds left.

The crowd at Ricoh left happy, but the team immediately set their sights south to Buffalo, where they'll square off against the Sabres again Saturday night at KeyBank Center. Toronto now has five pre-season games remaining before their regular-season kicks off Oct. 4 in Winnipeg against the Jets, and if the Leafs can build on Friday's effort with a similarly spirited and smart approach in that span, they'll be in a good position when the season begins.

Leafs @ Buffalo Sabres 3-1 - Saturday, September 23

One night after they beat the Sabres 3-0 in Toronto, the Leafs headed down to Buffalo for a rematch - albeit, one with drastically different lineups for both teams - and the Buds once again scored the first goal of the contest. However, unlike Friday's game, which had a first period that ended without a goal being scored by either side, Saturday's showdown saw the Leafs grab a lead at the 5:25 mark of the opening period when winger James van Riemsdyk netted his second pre-season marker.
The goal sequence began with centre Tyler Bozak's slick pass to blueliner Nikita Zaitsev, who earned the secondary assist on van Riemsdyk's goal; and winger Mitch Marner got the primary assist for his second helper of the pre-season. Equally impressive was the fact Toronto prevented the Sabres from getting a shot on netminder Frederik Andersen until nearly six minutes of the first period elapsed. The Buds kept the pressure on the home team and outshot the Sabres 12-5 in the period, and dominated in both the faceoff circle (where they won 72 percent of all draws) and in giveaways (Buffalo had eight to Toronto's three).

The necessary caveat always has to be that, in non-regular-season games, coaches are always tinkering with lineups that aren't likely to resemble the ones they'll rely on once the regular season begins, so this should be seen for what it is: a work in progress. But for the second straight game, Toronto came out of the dressing room looking confident and hungry, and that's got to please head coach Mike Babcock as the Buds move toward the halfway point of the pre-season.

The Sabres put in a more spirited effort in the middle period and spent considerably more time in Toronto's zone, forcing Andersen to be at his best. The veteran was exactly that, turning aside high-quality chances by Jason Pominville early in the frame and Matt Moulson later in the period. However, Buffalo tied it up with 3:39 remaining until the second intermission when Sabres blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen's shot from the point was deflected by winger Hudson Fasching into the Leafs' net for the game-tying marker.
The Sabres continued to push after that and nearly took their first lead when winger Evander Kane had a golden opportunity directly in front of Andersen, but he jabbed out his right pad to rob Kane of what looked to be a sure goal, and the teams headed into the third period tied 1-1 thanks in no small part to Andersen's performance.

Toronto ended the second period on the power play - their second consecutive man advantage, and their third of the game - and kept pressure on the Sabres as the third period began, forcing Buffalo into heading back to the penalty kill just 47 seconds in when Moulson was called for slashing.
The Leafs needed only 11 seconds of that penalty to take the lead: D-man Connor Carrick drove toward Sabres goalie Robin Lehner and fired a backhand shot that rebounded out to Lehner's left side and right to winger Kasperi Kapanen, who was focused and prepared in scoring at the 58-second mark of the third. It was also created in part due to the traffic winger Kerby Rychel provided directly in front of Lehner, who was engaged with Rychel and unable to properly square up against Kapanen.
The gifted Kapanen has the capability to be a strong finisher at the NHL level, and with both the AHL Marlies and short spans with the Leafs in each of the past two seasons, the 21-year-old has shown a great capacity to work through obstacles and raise his game. His battle for an NHL roster spot will likely be ongoing on this deep Leafs roster, but that's a great sign for the organization, and an indication all ice time will have to be earned. You never want your prospects to be expectant, and Babcock's meritorious approach can only benefit the young Finn.
Andersen finished his strong night after the second, stopping all but one of the 18 shots he faced - and his replacement, Kasimir Kaskisuo, was perfect in the third, preventing the Sabres from scoring on any of their final seven shots. Just as they'd received the night before from netminders Curtis McElhinney and Garret Sparks, the Leafs' net was terrifically minded - and for the second straight game, Toronto gave their goalies some breathing room in the final seconds with an empty-net goal.a

In this case, it was winger Nikita Soshnikov who made Buffalo pay for pulling their goaltender for an extra man with in regulation. Soshnikov - another Buds forward in a hard-fought battle for an NHL job - scored into an open net with 1:10 left in the game to ensure the Leafs would win their second game in a row.
The Leafs' depth up front is certainly an area of pride for the organization, but Toronto's defence corps is growing in terms of genuine battles for jobs and the ability of the blueliners to contribute on offence.
Three Leafs D-men - Carrick, Zaitsev and rookie Calle Rosen - chipped in with an assist, and Jake Gardiner, the only member of the top four blueliners not to get on the scoresheet, nonetheless gave the Buds a team-high 26:19 of stellar ice time. Rosen in particular also impressed in his 18:55, playing both on the power play and shorthanded and availing himself very well. The 23-year-old Swede was brought into the organization as an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he looks very comfortable in a North American rink playing a different style of game. His work with Carrick could give Toronto a formidable third pairing when the regular season begins.

Montreal Canadiens @ Leafs 1-5 - Monday, September 25

Centre Auston Matthews became well-known for a number of reasons in his rookie season with the Leafs last year, and one of those reasons was for his penchant at scoring the first goal of the game. That was the case again Monday, when he took a pass from winger Leo Komarov just outside Toronto's blueline, quickly carried the puck into Montreal's zone, and snapped a shot just inside the Canadiens' blueline that beat goalie Al Montoya at the 47-second mark and put the Leafs ahead 1-0.
The Buds entered the night on a two-game win streak, and with a lineup that's fairly close to the one that will start the regular season in Winnipeg Oct. 4, they started Monday's game with focus and smart play. And to help them settle in, Matthews gave them some breathing room early on. He's good at that.

The Leafs' lead got a boost less than five minutes after Matthews scored - and once again, Matthews was the one who put the puck in the net. The youngster took advantage of a Montreal turnover just inside their blueline, got the puck on Montoya on his backhand, and circled around behind Montoya to the other side of the net, where he poked in a rebound at 4:56 to make it 2-0 for the home team.
As we've said in this space numerous times, Matthews' skills with the puck are tremendous, but it's what he does away from it - including his doggedness on defense and his instincts for being where the puck eventually is going to be - that are equally impressive. That's quite something for a competitor who just turned 20 last week.

 

Toronto finished the first frame up by two goals, and their lead was increased early in the second period when veteran winger Patrick Marleau battled a pair of Habs defenders near the net to the left of Montoya and knocked a loose puck into Montreal's net for his second marker of the pre-season.
Marleau has looked increasingly comfortable in every game since signing with the Buds as an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his goal Monday was an indication of how many differet ways he can score goals. His first one as a Leaf - against Ottawa last week - was a shot from the outside, while this one came in close. You don't become a multi-time 30-goal-scorer by only netting them one way, and Marleau clearly is capable of hurting the opposition from all parts of the offensive zone.
Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen has been sharp in the pre-season, and his play in the first two periods was no different. Montreal outshot the Leafs 9-5 through the first 20 minutes, yet Andersen held the Habs off the scoreboard through that span and up until 11:37 of the second period, when the visitors got a power play goal from defenseman Jeff Petry to cut the lead to 3-1. But Andersen - who played his first full game of the pre-season Monday - wasn't shaken by Petry's goal and posted a solid third period to lock up the win.
Andersen had to deal with an injury early last fall that hampered his first training camp as a Leaf, but this pre-season he's been strong and dependable right from the get-go, and looks primed to build on the terrific regular season he had in 2016-17.

The Canadiens didn't have star netminder Carey Price between the pipes, nor did they have their full complement of NHLers on the bench for this game. But as the third period went on, the Leafs used their familiarity and experience to their benefit - and Matthews broke through a pair of Habs defenders to create a breakaway that he'd score on at 3:46 of the frame for his third of the night and a 4-1 Toronto lead.

Just over three minutes later, the Leafs were on a power play when winger William Nylander netted his third of the pre-season at 6:32 to put the Buds up 5-1 and effectively put the game out of reach for the visitors. The Canadiens will have a chance for revenge when the two clubs square off again Wednesday night in Montreal - in a game that likely will see Price in net to make life harder on Toronto's forwards - but as it stands now, the Leafs are riding a high, with three consecutive wins under their belts and a lineup that's gelling more and more with every shift.

Leafs @ Montreal Canadiens 4-2 - Wednesday, September 27

The Leafs beat Montreal 5-1 at Ricoh Coliseum Monday, but a drastically different Toronto lineup - featuring mostly young players and NHL prospects - was in Quebec City Wednesday to square off against the Habs again. This version of the Buds began the game carrying the play in the Canadiens' zone, but it was the home team that got on the scoreboard first when centre Jonathan Drouin got into a breakaway position after a pass from teammate Shea Weber and roofed a backhand shot past goalie Curtis McElhinney 5:09 into the first period.
The Buds outshot Montreal through the first 20 minutes, but they learned a lesson: when Carey Price is in net for the Habs, shot volume doesn't really matter. It's about shot quality, and in that regard, the Canadiens had the best shot of the opening frame, Drouin made it count - and forward Andrew Shaw made it 2-0 just before the intermission to give Toronto a bigger hole from which to climb out of.

Toronto continued winning the shots-on-net battle, outshooting the Canadiens 22-7 by the 10-minute mark of the second period, but the middle frame was much kinder to Leafs shooters, as three Buds defencemen scored in the period to give the visitors a 3-2 lead heading into the third.
The first Leafs goal came 57 seconds into the second, with Toronto on a 5-on-3 power play; D-man Connor Carrick moved in toward Montreal's net and fired a shot just outside the faceoff circle that beat Price to cut the Habs' lead in half. The tying goal was scored by blueliner Martin Marincin with 4:14 remaining in the period when Marincin's shot from the blueline went through traffic and evaded Price. And the go-ahead marker was scored by newcomer Andreas Borgman with 2:35 left in the second on another slapshot that Price couldn't locate amid the traffic in front of him.
The Leafs' defense corps has a number of incumbents who weren't involved in Wednesday's matchup, but with youngsters including Borgman, fellow Swede Calle Rosen, and blueliners with NHL experience like Carrick and Marincin, the competition for jobs is as intense as it is among Toronto's group of forwards.

The Canadiens found themselves in penalty trouble again in the third period after captain Max Pacioretty took a slashing minor at the end of the second, and once again, Toronto capitalized on the opportunity: winger Colin Greening took the puck behind Montreal's net and made a solid pass to winger Andreas Johnsson, who immediately knocked it past Price to put the Leafs ahead 4-2 at the 1:22 mark.
The goal was Johnsson's third point of the night, a nice reward for the 22-year-old, who posted 20 goals and 47 points in 75 games with the American League Marlies last season. The Swedish native is one of several young Leafs prospects who've shown they've got the talent to compete at and above the AHL level, and a performance like the one he put on Wednesday can only help Johnsson's confidence.

For the second straight game, Toronto's goaltender played the entire contest - Frederik Anderson looked terrific in Monday's victory - and on this night, McElhinney got better as the game unfolded and made several outstanding stops in the final two periods to allow his teammates to get back into the contest and eventually take the lead.
McElhinney was a late-season acquisition for Toronto last year, winning six games in 14 appearances and posting a .914 save percentage. The 34-year-old will likely play the second of back-to-back games in Toronto's schedule this year, and if he can provide the resilience he did on this night, head coach Mike Babcock and Leafs management will be pleased.
The Canadiens fought until the final buzzer, and McElhinney had to be focused to prevent them from scoring on a late power play and with Price pulled for the extra man, but Toronto pulled out the win to register their fourth consecutive victory of the pre-season.

That win streak gives the Buds momentum as they prepare to head to Detroit and take on the Red Wings Friday night before coming home the following evening and battling the Wings again Saturday at Ricoh to close out the pre-season. With the start of the regular season just a week away, Babcock, GM Lou Lamoriello and the rest of Leafs brass have some extremely difficult roster decisions to make - a great sign for both the present and the future - and these final two pre-season games will help determine who stays on the NHL roster and who begins the season with the Marlies. And the strong showing Toronto's youngsters put forth Wednesday was the latest in a steady sequence of positives for the franchise moving forward.

Leafs @ Detroit Red Wings 4-2 - Friday, September 29

The Leafs managed just two shots on net in the first 15 minutes of action, but one of those shots turned into a goal when winger Mitch Marner's power play effort led to a 1-0 Leafs lead at the 3:49 mark of the opening frame. But the Red Wings dictated much of the play in the remainder of the period, and a number of Toronto defensive breakdowns resulted in good offensive opportunities for the home team.
Eventually, Detroit's pressure paid off: after a savvy setup from teammate Henrik Zetterberg, winger Gustav Nyquist fired the puck past Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen and into the Buds' net at 13:09, and the two teams were tied as they entered the first intermission. But certainly, Toronto head coach Mike Babcock wasn't pleased to see the large disparity in shots (with the Wings leading 15-3 in that department after 20 minutes), and Andersen had to come up with some big saves to keep his side from trailing at the start of the second period.

Toronto began the middle frame with more jump to their game than they displayed for most of the first, and once again, they took an early lead. This time, defenceman Jake Gardiner took the puck just inside the Wings' blueline and passed it down toward Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard, where Leafs forwards Zach Hyman and William Nylander were heading; Hyman got a piece of the puck, but it went off him and directly to Nylander, who redirected it through Howard to put the Buds back in front at 3:22 of the second.
However - and in spite of the Leafs outshooting Detroit 12-6 in the period - the Wings did what they did in the first, striking back to even the score prior to the intermission. With 32 seconds left in the second, and after Toronto failed to clear the puck out of their zone, centre Luke Glendening gathered his own rebound and quickly backhanded the puck into the Leafs' net to tie things up at two goals apiece. This was a stronger all-around period for the Buds, but playing against a Detroit squad that had most of their NHLers in the lineup, they couldn't afford to lose focus, and that blip on their radar just before the 40-minute mark turned into the tying marker.

The teams had barely began competing in the third period when Nylander's forechecking pursuit in Detroit's zone resulted in him getting the puck at the boards to the left of Howard. Nylander took less than a second to locate Matthews, who was all alone directly in front of the net and quickly went to his backhand to score his second of the pre-season and make it 3-2 for Toronto.
The chemistry Matthews and Nylander have developed from last season until now is undeniable, and given that the former is just 20 years old and the latter is just 21, it's thrilling for Leafs Nation to imagine what they'll be capable of in the years to come. As it stands right now, they're already capable of quite a bit.

Despite their initial struggles in the first period, the Leafs gained confidence and more possession as the night unfolded, and that was especially apparent in the third, when they forced Detroit into taking three consecutive penalties in a span of 4:06. Toronto didn't score on any of the ensuing power plays, but they contained the Wings in their own zone for most of the frame and outshot them 12-2 through the final period.

The Leafs had six man advantages in the game - while giving Detroit five power plays, including one with 1:09 left in regulation - but their confidence clearly grew as the game went on, and winger Leo Komarov's empty-net goal with 16 seconds left sealed the win for the visitors.
The Leafs' victory Friday gives them five consecutive victories, and sets them up nicely to finish out the pre-season schedule on a six-game win streak if they can beat Detroit again Saturday night at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. Both teams' lineup is likely to be different for that game, but the Buds have won five in a row with many different groups of players, and against opponents who have iced both veteran and youth-heavy squads.
And while it's never a good idea to put too much stock in what happens prior to the start of the regular season - which, this year, will take place for the Leafs Oct. 4 in Winnipeg - Babcock and Toronto's management have to be encouraged to see the team finding ways to win in spite of stretches of sub-par play. There are still battles for jobs on the NHL roster for some of the Buds, and the fact those battles could come down to the final pre-season game is a great harbinger of what's ahead for the franchise this year.

Detroit Red Wings @ Leafs 3-2 - Saturday, September 30


Toronto was coming off a 4-2 win over the Red Wings Friday in Detroit, but it was a drastically different lineup for both sides that took to the ice at a jam-packed Ricoh; for the most part, each side's lineup was comprised mostly of prospects and young NHLers, but both goalies that started the game - Curtis McElhinney for the Buds, and Petr Mrazek for the Wings - have in the area of 150 appearances at hockey's top level, so neither squad was getting anything handed to them.
McElhinney made the first big stop of the evening, turning aside a shorthanded breakaway opportunity by Justin Abdelkader some seven minutes into the contest. And before Toronto's power play had ended, blueliner Vincent LoVerde's shot from the point was redirected by centre Eric Fehr and past Mrazek at the 8:31 mark to put the Buds ahead 1-0.
The Leafs started the night on a five-game win streak, and although a variety of lineups and line and pairing combinations got them there, Saturday's group used their speed to dominate the shots on net battle in the opening frame (Toronto had 14, while Detroit had eight) and McElhinney's timely stop prevented the visitors from capitalizing on one of the few major scoring opportunities they had.

McElhinney's performance has improved as the pre-season has played out, and in the second frame Saturday he made two huge stops early on: one on another breakaway (albeit a shorter one) by Abdelkader that followed a Leafs turnover, and a left pad save on forward Matt Lorito that was his best of the night to that point. The veteran looked assured and dialed-in, and his teammates fed off that confidence to pressure Detroit into multiple penalties in the middle frame.
McElhinney hasn't had a full season with the Leafs organization yet, but the 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with Toronto this summer and looks set to assert himself as a reliable understudy to starter Frederik Andersen.
For the most part, the Leafs continued to pressure Detroit through the second period, and their persistence resulted in a steady stream of Wings players to the penalty box. Toronto received a whopping five power plays in the frame - giving them seven through 40 minutes of action - but couldn't score a second goal on Mrazek, or a first goal on Jared Coreau, who replaced Mrazek midway through the period.
Then, with Leafs blueliner Travis Dermott in the penalty box (his second penalty of the period) with 39 seconds left until the second intermission, Detroit finally was able to solve McElhinney: forward Michael Rasmussen netted his fourth goal of the pre-season with 31 seconds left, and the teams headed into the final regulation period tied at a goal apiece.
The Wings outshot Toronto 11-9 in the period, and the Buds needed McElhinney to keep them from having to dig out of a hole, but the Leafs still had a solid shot at winning this one and finishing their pre-season schedule with their sixth straight victory.

The penalty troubles the Wings found themselves in during the second period became Toronto's troubles in the third, and although the Leafs had a handful of solid chances to take the lead, Detroit did a good job of collapsing in front of their net and limiting the home side to just seven shots in the period.
Detroit looked to have had the game won when Lorito scored with 2:51 remaining in regulation, but Leafs head coach Mike Babcock pulled McElhinney for the extra man, and the move paid off: Dermott's shot from the blueline found its way through traffic and past Coreau for the tying goal with 69 seconds left in the period. That sent the crowd of 8,811 into an eruption of joy, and was a great way to reward McElhinney for his outstanding play.
The Leafs dominated the extra frame, but were unable to get the game-winner - and when the shootout took place, Detroit took the win by getting goals from winger P-A Parenteau and Lorito. Toronto got a goal from Fehr, but neither winger Nikita Soshnikov nor D-man Connor Carrick could beat Coreau to extend the shootout process to a fourth round.

The loss ended Toronto's pre-season schedule on a down note, but the Leafs did win five of eight games and there was much for Leafs Nation to like in that span. The onus now is on Babcock, GM Lou Lamoriello and the rest of the team's brass to make decisions regarding the roster that will start the season for the Buds, whose first regular-season game is Oct. 4 in Winnipeg. The good news is the play of many Leafs players is going to make those decisions extremely difficult, but the better news is Toronto has sufficient depth now to give coaches and management a wealth of options once the year begins.
 

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has reduced its roster to 26 players (14 forwards, 10 defencemen and two goaltenders).

The Maple Leafs have loaned the following players to the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies: Miro Aaltonen, Travis Dermott, Frederik Gauthier, Justin Holl, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Tobias Lindberg, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, Andrew Nielsen, Michael Paliotta, Nikita Soshnikov, Dmytro Timashov and Rinat Valiev.
The Maple Leafs have placed the following players on waivers: Colin Greening, Vincent LoVerde, Chris Mueller, Kerby Rychel, Ben Smith and Garret Sparks.
In addition, Carl Grundstrom has been reassigned to Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League.
The Maple Leafs open the 2017-18 season on Wednesday, October 4 when they travel to Winnipeg to face the Jets before hosting the New York Rangers at Air Canada Centre on Saturday, October 7.

After training camp officially came to a close over the weekend, Maple Leafs coaches and management had to sit down and make a slew of very tough choices in terms of which players would stick on the NHL roster and which ones would be assigned to develop their game in another league. And when GM Lou Lamoriello, head coach Mike Babcock and the rest of team brass finally arrived at those decisions in whittling down the roster to 26 players, they did so knowing some would be disappointed. 

However, that disappointment is by the same token an encouraging development for Leafs fans. It means that there were more NHL-calibre players than there were available jobs. It means the organization now has a degree of depth that hadn't been there for some time. And it means that young players who already are growing their game are now being challenged to raise it to even greater heights, which can only help the Buds down the road.
"Without question, it's been a competitive camp," Lamoriello told Leafs TV Monday after the team practiced. "I think it's great when you have decisions. It's better to have decisions than no decisions."
"I think obviously we're in a situation that we've had a competitive camp," added Babcock. "There was good battles for jobs both on the back end and up front, and I mean we're a long way from sorting it all out, but in saying all that, it gives us a place to start."
The Leafs trimmed their roster by assigning 15 players - forwards Miro Aaltonen, Frederik Gauthier, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Tobias Lindberg, Mason Marchment, Trevor Moore, Nikita Soshnikov and Dmytro Timashov; defencemen Travis Dermott, Justin Holl, Andrew Nielsen, Michael Paliotta and Rinat Valiev; and goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo - to the American League's Toronto Marlies. Toronto also placed six players - forwards Colin Greening, Kerby Rychel, Ben Smith and Chris Mueller; blueliner Vincent LoVerde; and goalie Garret Sparks - on waivers, and assigned winger Carl Grundstrom to Frolunda HC of the Swedish League.
That leaves the Leafs with 26 players - three more than the 23-man roster limit, which must be finalized and submitted to the league by 5 p.m. Tuesday - and although management can't do much to keep the reassigned players from feeling disappointed, they were given messages of encouragement in an effort to keep them positive about what's ahead.
"You're just honest with them," Lamoriello said when asked what the organization tells players who didn't make the cut. "Both (Soshnikov) and (Kapanen), they've played extremely well, they played well when they were here last year, and unfortunately there comes a business decision involved because they have the ability to go down because they don't need waivers. And when you have the depth that we have right now, you have to make those decisions. 
"But they're knocking on the door. They'll be back in the NHL. And the most important message is, yes, be disappointed, but don't let up on the gas. You have to continue to force us to get you back."
The players still with the Leafs now turn their attention to the beginning of the regular season - which kicks off for Toronto with a showdown against the Jets in Winnipeg Wednesday - and they understand the physical and mental grind that's ahead. But after playing eight pre-season games (and winning five of them) they're thrilled for the process to begin.
"I think we're getting antsy, we want to get it going," said winger Connor Brown, who is entering his sophomore NHL season. "But we feel pretty comfortable. I thought we had a good finish to those last couple games, starting to play the way we want to play, and we've just got to continue to build off that."
Like the Leafs, the Jets are bringing back most of their players from the 2016-17 campaign, with the notable exception of goalie Steve Mason, who left Philadelphia as a free agent to sign with Winnipeg this past summer. But although they failed to make the post-season, the Jets finished with as many regular-season wins as Toronto (40) and have a number of high-impact individuals on their roster, including sophomore winger Patrik Laine and blueliner Jacob Trouba. 
There's no guarantee the Leafs will be able to walk into the Jets' home and begin the year on a winning note, but as Babcock noted, the competitive balance in the now 31-team league means Toronto has to be prepared to fight with everything they've got throughout the season.
"We're going into a tough building in Winnipeg and it's going to be tough, but that's what you're going to say every night," Babcock said. "The parity in the league is unbelievable, and every night is going to be hard."