The Toronto Marlies and a spattering of Toronto Maple Leafs’ regulars ventured into Canada’s capital to take on the Ottawa Senators in the second of two home and home preseason games. This was the polar opposite of the first game in Toronto, not only with who dressed for each team but in how the game ended up. The first game, a 6-5 Senators win, was wide-open with little or no defense. This game was another preseason loss for Toronto, but it was tight-checking, with neither team mustering much offense.
Related: Matthews Left Maple Leafs Practice with “Upper-Body” Injury
The Good for the Maple Leafs
With most of the Maple Leafs players who played this game either fighting for a spot on the big team or destined for the Marlies, it was easy to predict the one thing that wouldn’t happen. They would not get outworked, and they didn’t. It was easy to tell that every player on the ice for Toronto was working their butts off to make some impression on the coaching staff and management, if not to win a spot on the team this season, to at least make a positive impression for the future.
For the most part, Toronto did a good job shutting down the Senators, who iced most of the players we expect to see regularly once the regular season starts. According to Naturalstattrick.com, the Maple Leafs limited Ottawa to just three High-Danger Scoring Chances at 5-on-5 and five High-Danger Scoring Chances overall.
Maple Leafs Open the Scoring
Toronto opened the scoring in the game at 6:29 of the first period. During a rugby-like scrum following a faceoff in the Ottawa zone that saw all five Senators’ players and the three Toronto forwards playing “Grab the Greased Pig” with the puck, Alex Steeves finally got his stick on it. He fired it between Anton Forsberg’s legs into the net before Forsberg could react. Steeves, who has not been noted for his physicality in the past, also led the way with eight hits in the game.
While no Toronto player stood out as a dominant force in the game, the line of Pontus Holmberg between Nick Robertson and Bobby McMann did have its moments. Both Robertson and McMann were noticeable for their play with the puck and their tenacity without it on the forecheck. While Holmberg was not as evident, he put up the best underlying 5-on-5 numbers of any forward. While he was not on the ice for any goals for or against at 5-on-5, he was on the ice for six Shots For and zero Shots Against, four Scoring Chances For, and zero Scoring Chances Against. His Expected Goals Percentage was 96.72%.
Pontus Holmberg Gets Involved Physically
Holmberg has exceptional strength for an average-sized player (6-foot and 190 pounds). That was evident when he shoved Senators’ forward Ridley Greig to the ice late in the second period after the two wrestled away from the puck. Holmberg received a deserving two-minute penalty on the play and might have gotten away with a high stick as well, as his stick did make contact with Greig’s mouth on the way down. The announcers said it should have been a high-sticking penalty, but when Holmberg’s stick made contact with Greig, his face was only about two feet off the ice. While the hold was intentional, the stick was accidental and not high.
Holmberg had to answer further for his actions when Cole Reinhardt challenged him later in the game. Not only did Holmberg accept the challenge, but he held his own in the fight. Each player got in four or five swings before Holmberg won the battle with a takedown, again demonstrating his physical strength.
On the backend, an under-the-radar UFA signing led the way in ice time for the Maple Leafs. Dakota Mermis, who signed a one-year $750,000 deal on July 2nd after playing 47 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, played just over 21 minutes. He put up decent underlying numbers as well. At 5-on-5, he was on the ice for seven Shots For and four Shots Against. The Scoring Chances were five For and six Against, but the High Danger Scoring Chances were two For and zero Against. His Expected Goals Percentage was 55.3%.
The Maple Leafs Goalies Were Excellent
While the goaltending of Joseph Woll and Matt Murray was nothing to write home about in the first game, Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby were excellent.
Stolarz stopped 15 of the 16 shots he faced in 30 minutes to post a 0.938 SV% and a 2.00 Goals Against Average. Hildeby stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced in 28:44, posting a 0.909 SV% and a 2.11 Goals Against Average. Hildeby’s first save was not an easy one. He went right to left to rob Brady Tkachuk of a wide-open net and a sure goal. While Hildeby is destined for the Marlies, his play in this game will help solidify his number-one status on that team.
If there is a battle for the Maple Leafs’ number one job, round one of that battle goes to Stolarz over Woll.
The Bad for the Maple Leafs
With the score 1-0 Toronto later in the first period, the Maple Leafs had a shift from hell in their own zone. Following a faceoff loss by Logan Shaw, the fivesome of Shaw, Nikita Grebenkin, Easton Cowan, Phillipe Myers, and Marshall Rifai spent the next 30 seconds chasing the puck around in the zone. It didn’t help matters when Cowan broke his stick. After getting eight touches of the puck, the Senators worked it into the deep slot to Jake Sanderson, who rifled it past a screened Stolarz into the net to tie the score.
A few mistakes led to the goal. First, Grebenkin, the winger who should have covered Sanderson at the point, was down low beside the net on the wrong side of the ice. Myers tried to block the shot but failed and screened Stolarz. Last, Stolarz, who stands 6-foot-6”, was crouched low, trying to look under Myers, and the puck beat him high on the glove side.
While the players were in the preseason, this game evidently showed that the referees also needed some work. There were several chintzy calls and missed calls on both sides.
The Ugly
Nicolas Mattinen is a 6th-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2016 but spent the last two seasons playing in Austria and Germany despite being born in Ottawa. He might have made a mistake that ended his chances of getting into other preseason games.
With the Maple Leafs on the power play just past the midpoint of the third period, Mattinen went back into the Toronto zone to retrieve a loose puck after the Senators iced it. Under pressure from Zack Ostapchuk, Mattinen attempted a weak peewee-type cross-ice pass to Grebenkin. Ostapchuk quickly picked it off at the faceoff dot to the right of Hildeby. Ostapchuk took two strides toward the net and went backhand, forehand, backhand before beating Hildeby under his glove and over his left pad.
That was the game, as the Senators shut down the Maple Leafs from there.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs in Preseason?
The Maple Leafs play another home-and-home. This time, it is with the Montreal Canadiens. The first game is in Toronto on Thursday night, and the second is in Montreal on Saturday night.
It will be interesting to see if Berube continues dressing the core players at home and the wannabes on the road. Or will he even up the two squads?
Related: Maple Leafs in Preseason from Craig Berube’s Point of View
