Grit, goals and goaltending top our takeaways from a 4-3 pre-season win by the Maple Leafs in Ottawa on Sunday aftgernoon:

NICK JUST WON’T GO AWAY

Nick Robertson still can’t be called an everyday Leaf.

Yet, he keeps making himself topical every day, for weeks and months, thanks to teases such as Sunday. Coach Craig Berube gave him Mitch Marner minutes at 5-on-5, as well as on the power play and penalty-kill. Robertson scored in Toronto’s first exhibition game, a day after getting both goals in an otherwise quiet Blue and White scrimmage.

There was lots to like about Robertson’s hustle in Bytown, while wearing the alternate captain’s letter, using his quick release and a couple of deft dekes, though there was a degree of risk in some of his possessions. On the left side with David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok among others, Robertson gave another good account of himself.

He was in 69 regular-season games last season, but two goals in two months hardly impressed his new coach after strong pre-season numbers and it was only when Berube sat him that he seemed to respond. Used in just three playoff tests, he had the only goal as the Leafs totally conked out in Game 7 against Florida.

What could work against Robertson, if he can’t be consistent, is the Leafs depth with multiple options on the left and right side this camp, including wingers bigger and more attuned to Berube’s aggressive instincts.

REMEMBER US?

Lost in a slew of summer signings were holdover forwards David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, who need to re-define their roles with newcomers Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Michael Pezzetta changing the depth dynamic.

Some fantasy depth charts have both Euros on the outs, Kampf bumped by a fourth line shaping up with Scott Laughton in the middle.

Jarnkrok, who was hampered by a sports hernia last year, made a return in the playoffs, but had just one assist in 12 games.

Both played well and enjoyed their parental roles on Sunday, including penalty-kill duties, against the far more seasoned Senators. Jarnkrok, who drove the net for the game-opening goal less than a minute into the game, later kidded with Sportsnet that the afternoon in Ottawa had a class “field trip” feel to it, with him as teacher.

When Kampf lost a potentially problematic 6-on-5 draw to Brady Tkachuk in the dying seconds, Jarnkrok jumped on the loose puck to preserve the victory.

Fitting all these parts in without going to the waiver route next month will be tight.

CALL THE MARSHALL

Defenceman Marshall Rifai was a paper lion for the Leafs last year, often called up to the NHL roster from the Marlies, but never used.

Efforts such as Sunday will keep him fresh in Berube’s contact list, led by his healthy run at Leafs nemesis Ridly Greig after seeing Ottawa’s Tyler Kleven rub out Pezzetta along the boards. After a tussle, Rifai got a high-sticking penalty and later fought Zack MacEwen off a draw.

Lest you dismiss Rifai strictly as a hot-head, he stepped in front of a Tim Stutzle power-play blast that might have tied the game late.

The 27-year-old from Beaconsfield, Que., has nearly 200 AHL games to his credit after three years at Harvard and two appearances with the Leafs in Sheldon Keefe’s last season as coach.

The Senators pressed for rebounds on goalies Artur Akhtyamov and closer Vyacheslav Peksa a couple of times to draw Leafs attention. The two Russian stoppers combined on 32 saves. Marlies power-play point man William Villeneuve also scored as did Matthew Barbolini.

After the Leafs sent a group of rookies back to their junior teams on Saturday, including 2025 draft picks Tyler Hopkins, Harry Nansi, Matthew Hlacar and defenceman Ryan Fellinger, focus heightened Sunday on winger Easton Cowan and defenceman Ben Danford.

The first-round picks from 2023 and ’24, respectively, saw lots of ice, though there wasn’t a lot of offensive partners to click with Cowan on this roster.

Danford took two penalties and missed on a breakaway, but was positionally sound.

MEANWHILE, IN TORONTO …

The main Leafs group worked out Sunday morning, ahead of a day off and Tuesday’s return match versus Ottawa at Scotiabank Arena.

Of note was power-play practice with defenceman Morgan Rielly manning the point on the first unit as promised by Berube, which was Marner’s job in the old five-forward blueprint.

Even if Rielly’s shot is not a bomb, at least he’s more experienced tracking back as a defenceman if the Leafs lose the puck.

When the fivesome is baking, he’ll get his share of the special team’s cookies with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies up front, the latter going net-front.

The second group had Oliver Ekman-Larsson running the point with Roy at the front door, Maccelli, Bobby McMann and Max Domi (in his camp debut after a lower-body injury).

lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornby

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby