The Toronto Maple Leafs handled business in their home opener on Saturday night. They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Before opening up Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs were taken aback by some news. Toronto forward John Tavares was absent from the morning skate due to an illness. He was listed as doubtful for the clash against the Penguins and ultimately didn’t play.
Because of this, there was a gap on the second line down the middle, and someone needed to step up.
Plan B Better Than Plan A
With Tavares out of the lineup, the Leafs were set to start the game with Pontus Holmberg as their second-line centre. He did his best to hold his ground in the first period, Holmberg has had a great start to the season on the third line, being a good shut-down and responsible centre. However, on this occasion, it was a bit of a challenge for him. Many players would have trouble stopping the power of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Therefore, head coach Craig Berube made a change to start the second frame Max Domi swapped places with Holmberg from the third line to the second line. It turned out to be a great tinker by Toronto’s bench boss.
On Domi’s first shift in the second, he assisted William Nylander‘s first goal of the season. But, that wasn’t all. He continued to be a threat on even strength. Not too long after, he nearly set up Bobby McMann for his second of the season. He was also holding up his end of the bargain on the defensive side. He also seemed to have great chemistry with Nylander, just like he had chemistry with Auston Matthews in the playoffs last season.
It’s always the original plan to have Tavares there. However, it showed that the Leafs have many options to play with.
Toronto’s Stars Open Their Accounts
In the opening two games of the NHL season, Toronto’s star players were pretty quiet. Their top six were able to create chances and keep the puck in the offensive zone. However, they failed to execute those chances. Matthews and Nylander both found iron multiple times, but no dice. Only Tavares was able to find the scoresheet.
Nonetheless, on Saturday night, it was a different story for the main guys. Mitch Marner and Nylander both found the back of the net for the first time this season. Marner also provided an assist on a goal for Matthew Knies, his first of the season. Toronto were smooth and dominant at times in the offensive zone. At one point, the Leafs held the Penguins in their zone for about two minutes.
Despite those forwards earning their points, there’s still one player missing out on the fun. The captain, Matthews is still yet to score a point for the Maple Leafs. However, it shouldn’t take much longer for the former Hart Trophy winner to get going.
Leafs Hold Another Lead
In the past, the Maple Leafs have had trouble holding on to leads. There would be games where Toronto would blow leads against teams not exactly at their level. However, in their last two games, they’ve been able to grind out their wins and hold on to their lead.
This is a sign of maturing for the Maple Leafs and a piece of their game that they’ll want to master. There’s no doubt that this is at the hands of Berube. It seems that his philosophy is making an impression on the Leafs. On Saturday, it was a great effort by the team’s defence and steady goaltending from Anthony Stolarz. In the process, he earned his first win as Maple Leaf.
Main Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
