Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicolas Roy controls the puck against the Montreal Canadiens during a preseason game at Scotiabank Arena.John E. Sokolowski/Reuters
One of the benefits of Toronto’s seemingly never-ending baseball season is the relative anonymity – compared to most years – that the city’s hockey club is currently able to enjoy.
So while the Toronto Maple Leafs’ event planners dabble with start times to ensure that fans don’t miss too much of the World Series action, the players and coaching staff are busy trying to ensure that once attention switches back to the ice, the team bears a passing resemblance to last year’s division-winning squad.
They’ve certainly got work to do, as through the first seven games, the Leafs have looked some way off.
Though their record stands at 3-3-1, the team has played six of its first seven at Scotiabank Arena, and only two of those games were against teams that made the playoffs last season.
One of the most troubling areas is the continued inability to string a solid 60 minutes together. Though the Leafs have started their games strongly – outscoring the opposition 8-3 in the first period – they are switching off halfway through, getting outscored 12-5 in second periods.
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The magnitude of that problem was highlighted in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils – arguably the most talented team Toronto has played this year – when the Devils turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead before five minutes had elapsed in the second period.
“I think you look at every game, I think it’s just like 10 minutes and seems like mostly the second period so far that we lose our game, they get some odd-man rushes,” Nicolas Roy said Wednesday after the team’s optional practice. “And in this league, that can’t happen because every team can make you pay.”
Roy, a Stanley Cup-winning centre who came over from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade, isn’t exactly sure why the middle stanza is proving so troubling to his new club.
One theory is the more time-consuming line changes that the second period demands because the Leafs bench is further from the team’s own goal. That naturally puts a greater premium on puck protection and minimizing turnovers.
Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev was injured during Tuesday’s loss to the New Jersey Devils. He’s questionable for Friday’s game in Buffalo.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
However, heading into Wednesday night’s games, the Maple Leafs were producing an average of 18.39 giveaways per 60 minutes, good for third-worst in the NHL.
“It’s just finding chemistry,” said head coach Craig Berube of his team’s early season struggles. “I think some of our new guys coming in, finding some chemistry, where they fit, and trying to prove themselves almost a little bit.
“And then our whole team in general, in my opinion, is shooting themselves in the foot at different times in the game where there’s no need to do that. We didn’t do that stuff last year.”
Toronto’s ability to play a tighter, more controlled game from the blueline out took a hit Tuesday when defenceman Chris Tanev left the game early in the second period and did not return. The incident, which occurred when he clashed with the back of the helmet belonging to Devils forward Dawson Mercer, has left Tanev with what the team is terming an “upper body injury,” with Berube saying his return in time for Friday’s game in Buffalo is “questionable.”
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Given his warrior-like attitude on the ice, from blocking shots to acting as the last line of defence, his absence will be felt.
“I’m not going to lie to you, when he stays down, it’s definitely scary, because I’ve never played with a guy as tough as Chris Tanev,” Max Domi said. “So it’s not a good feeling as a group when you see a guy like that go down. But he seems to be doing well and he’s tough as nails.”
Heading into a home-and-home series with the Sabres Friday and Saturday, the absence of goaltender Joseph Woll also comes under the spotlight once again. While Anthony Stolarz has held down the fort – starting six of the games with an .894 save percentage – the continuing absence of Woll for “personal reasons” will likely mean another start for Cayden Primeau over the weekend.
Berube didn’t have much to offer when asked about Woll – who started half of the Leafs’ regular-season games last year – on Wednesday.
“I don’t really have an update for you right now on Joe,” the coach said, adding that he is not actively communicating with Woll directly. “I mean, he’s doing fine. Like I said, when he’s back, he’s back.”
On the plus side, Berube said centre Scott Laughton, who has been out since the end of training camp with a lower-body injury, is set to get back on the ice with the team shortly.
“He’s trending really well,” Berube said.