The Toronto Maple Leafs have been underwhelming and inconsistent through the first two weeks of the regular season, prompting pearl-clutching from some media commentators and some fans not focusing on the World Series. While the Leafs have not played close to their potential, there has to be a realization that there was going to be a period of adjustment for the club without a player who played on the top line at even strength, and on the top power play and penalty killing units.
To take the glass is half full approach, the club is 3-3-1 without their power play being effective, with a team that was excellent defensively last season ranked in the bottom-third of the league in goals allowed, and with their top line flailing about, looking for a solution on the right side with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews.
Leafs head coach Craig Berube is pondering the ill-advised solution of moving William Nylander to the top line, which is a ‘putting all your eggs in one basket’ approach which could yield temporary positive results, but also strips the second line of it’s driving force.
Tanev On Injured Reserve
On Thursday, the club placed defenseman Chris Tanev on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in the 5-2 loss to New Jersey. Tanev suffered the injury in a collision with New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer and had to be helped off the ice by teammates. The Leafs called up blueliner Dakota Mermis from the American Hockey League and it is likely that he will serve as their seventh defenseman for Toronto’s back-to-back home-and-home series against the Buffalo Sabres starting Friday at KeyBank Center.
Philippe Myers skated with veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Wednesday, which is an indicator that Simon Benoit will move alongside old defense partner Jake McCabe on the club’s second pairing.
The Leafs did not fare particularly well in their first back-to-back home-and-home against a division rival earlier in the month, as they lost both games to Detroit in regulation. The Sabres started out 0-3, but have rebounded with three wins in their last four games, including a 4-2 victory over the Red Wings on Wednesday, and have historically played Toronto tough.
The game starting times have been shifted to accommodate fans wanting to watch Games 1 and 2 of the World Series at 8 pm, with Friday’s game in Buffalo shifted from 7:30 to 7pm, and Saturday’s game at Scotiabank Arena starting at 5 pm.
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