A busy holiday weekend, indeed.
Not only did the Maple Leafs have a rare Sunday afternoon practice, it came when most of the players probably would have preferred relaxing at home and preparing to have Thanksgiving dinner with their families.
A practice on Sunday was always on the Leafs’ schedule, but a good effort and performance in Detroit on Saturday, and victory against the Red Wings, might have resulted in a day off.
Not so, as the Leafs weren’t sharp in a 6-3 loss. Coach Craig Berube put the club through a brisk 20-minute workout on Sunday before the players scattered to get their fill of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.
THE NEWS
Easton Cowan practised on the right side of the Leafs’ top line with captain Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. That’s where Cowan, the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2023, will make his National Hockey League debut on Monday afternoon against the Red Wings at Scotiabank Arena.
Steven Lorentz didn’t practise after he departed the loss in Detroit because of an upper-body injury. Berube indicated there wasn’t a timeline for Lorentz’s status before saying that the winger would be “doubtful” to play on Monday.
With Cowan in and Lorentz out, Berube made changes to every line. Cowan takes the place of Matias Maccelli, and the latter was on the left side with John Tavares and William Nylander; Bobby McMann is now with centre Max Domi and Nick Robertson on the left; Dakota Joshua is on the fourth line with centre Nicolas Roy and Calle Jarnkrok on the right.
WHAT THEY SAID
“I feel confident. I feel like I’m ready for this. I’m going to take it all in, enjoy it and have some fun. Just create space for them. Two good players, use my smarts to make plays and play direct, and we’ll be good. I’m actually happy about (the rare 2 p.m. start). I like the afternoon games, so I’m pumped about that for sure.”
— Cowan on looking forward to playing in his first NHL game and doing so alongside Matthews and Knies
“Not much, honestly. I feel like I’ve played in a lot of big games, so that’s going to help me. Not too nervous right now. I’m going to try to enjoy it. Like everyone says, you only get (an NHL debut) once.”
— Cowan on drawing on his hockey experience, which includes two Ontario Hockey League titles and a Memorial Cup championship with the London Knights
“He’s a guy that is good down low in the offensive zone, and I’d like to get that line some more possession, some more plays. He does that stuff. He’s a great hounder. He gets on top of things and he’s strong on pucks, hangs on the pucks. That’s why I made that switch.”
— Berube on putting Cowan with Matthews and Knies
“I watched him in camp and the games, and I thought he did a good job defensively. He’s a smart player. He’s got a good IQ. Watching his reads and where he’s positioned in the D zone and things like that, I feel he anticipates well and reads plays well, and that’s one of the reasons I put him there.”
— Berube on how he gained enough trust in Cowan, whose offensive skills need no explanation, on the defensive side to put him on the top line
“It’s mental for me … we can’t go from period to period and change what we’re doing well. It’s just about 60 minutes of doing the right things and playing the right way and right now, we’re not there. I don’t accept it. We had a good, hard meeting today. I don’t care what time of year it is. We have to make sure we’re all bought into playing the right way.”
— Berube on how the team works out the kinks that have been evident in the first two games, including a 5-2 win against Montreal in the opener
OUR TAKE
Let’s get this out of the way: Had Maccelli been doing good things on the Matthews line and helping to get some production, there would be no reason to put Cowan on the right side there. Maccelli has not been on the ice for a goal against at five-on-five, nor has the Matthews line, but there hasn’t been the kind of offensive output that might have been expected.
Maccelli and Knies have one assist each, while Matthews’ only point was an empty-net goal against the Canadiens.
We fall into line with Berube’s thinking in that having Cowan get his initial NHL look is such a prime spot. Confidence is no question mark for the 20-year-old kid they call Cowboy, but it’s not just because Cowan believes in himself that he’s getting this shot. As Berube said, he’s smart, and he plays with the kind of pace that not only fits with Matthews and Knies, but should benefit them. There’s more of a bulldog mentality than what Maccelli has to offer.
There will be no time for a learning curve for Cowan. He’s going to see either the Dylan Larkin line on Monday or the Wings line that features Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Cowan’s defensive awareness has to be on point from the opening faceoff.
It’s intriguing that it has worked out this way for Cowan, who looked rather sharp on line with Scott Laughton and Lorentz through the preseason. Funny how injuries can, and often do, upset the best-laid plans. Now, Cowan will skate into the NHL as both veterans watch from the sidelines as they nurse their respective injuries. Take Berube saying that Lorentz is doubtful for Monday, that the latter won’t play.
In the bigger picture, it’s crucial that the Leafs take a step forward from what they’ve shown in their first two games.
The Wings, presumably, will be in a fight to make the playoffs, and another loss to them on Monday on the part of the Leafs can’t happen. A post-season pretender shouldn’t be causing the kind of havoc that results in defensive-zone breakdowns.
Should this Toronto group, veteran-laden and experienced as it is, really have already required an honest sit-down with the coach on Sunday? No.
It’s just two games for Toronto, so we don’t want to go too far down the what’s concerning path. A challenge for Berube is getting his team to play faster, as the Leafs have looked slow to start the season. They have to make better, quicker decisions with the puck and there has to be more cohesion within each five-man unit.
That stuff is pretty basic.
Berube will have a lot more fun on Monday afternoon if he sees improvement there, no matter what Cowan does.