Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament Day 1 Notes, Thoughts and Observations

The Toronto Maple Leafs might have struggled to score against the Ottawa Senators during their first game at the Rookie Tournament, but they were without question the better team.

Maple Leafs Scratches:

Defensemen:

No. 54 Justin Holl
No. 57 Travis Dermott
No. 58 Andrew Nielsen
No. 87 Keaton Middleton

Forwards:

No. 60 Jeremy Bracco
No. 61 Andreas Johnson
No. 62 Martin Dzierkals
No. 68 Nikita Korostelev
No. 71 Tony Cameranesi
No. 81 Adam Brooks
No. 90 Tyler Wong

Recap:

The Toronto Maple Leafs started the game with great pace on Friday night at the Budweiser Gardens. Their opening line of Dmytro Timashov, Frederik Gauthier and Trevor Moore  played well during the first period and were a force throughout the game. The trio would score the Leafs first goal of the night, as Timashov sent a perfect pass to a streaking Moore, and the University of Denver product went top shelf on Senators goalie Matt O’Connor, giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead.

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From there, the Leafs would continue to control the pace of play and goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, although only facing seven shots in the first period, was solid. The most noteworthy moment in the first period, aside from Moore’s goal, was when Tobias Lindberg was sent to the penalty box for goaltender interference. O’Connor would head to the bench for a checkup after the 6-foot-3, 215 pound Swede made contact with him, and he would not return for the start of the second period. Chris Driedger would replace O’Connor.

The second period was more of the same. The Leafs continued to control the pace of play, setup shop in the offensive zone, and create chances off possession. Mitch Marner displayed his fantastic skillset during this period by flipping a nifty pass in the neutral zone to create an odd man rush, and also by stopping on a dime behind the Senators’ net and creating a scoring opportunity with his patience. There isn’t much that hasn’t already been said about Marner, but to reiterate a well known trait about him, his puck handling is extraordinary.

Another player who played well during the second period was defenseman Rinat Valiev — more on him in the thoughts and observations section. Although the game felt lopsided, after two periods of play the Leafs still led 1-0.

The third period started off slow, but the Leafs would be given a golden opportunity with just under eight minutes left when Vincent Dunn was sent to the sin bin for a two-minute slashing minor. However, the Leafs would fail to score on the powerplay and only created one decent chance.

Shortly after they killed off the slashing penalty, the Senators would get on the board with 5:29 left in the third period, as Stephen Harper ripped a wrist shot past Kaskisuo’s blocker. From there, the Senators would generate a ton of pressure during the final five minutes, but they were unable to find the twine and the game went to overtime.

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Valiev, Lindberg and Colin Smith started the extra frame for the Leafs, and the trio nearly ended the game a few minutes in as Valiev sprung Lindberg for a breakaway with a long pass, but the linesman ruled Lindberg offside.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe mixed the trios up a bit during overtime, while Kaskisuo was up to the task when tested. The game-winning goal would come in the final minute of overtime with Marner, Timashov and Colin Smith on the ice.

After Marner made a great defensive play in his own zone, denying an open look in front of the net, Smith would chase down the loose puck poke checked by Marner and he would snap a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net, past Driedger’s glove. It was a perfect shot and a great way to end the game.

Here’s a look at the goal:

Thoughts and Observations:

• Although he will have a difficult time surpassing Garret Sparks or Antoine Bibeau, Kaskisuo was impressive on Friday night. The 6-foot-3 Finnish goaltender had sound positioning, quality rebound control and made timely saves when tested. He also played out near the top of the crease, which was nice to see. He’s somebody to keep a keen eye on going forward.
• Valiev put together a fine game as well. He’s poised with the puck, shows good patience, skates well, and plays smart hockey.
• Timashov is ready for the next level. Despite his size, he’s a pesky player who uses his speed on both ends of the ice and looks to be a dynamic player in open ice situations. Playing in the Q, which isn’t exactly the most defensively inclined league, he does drift in the defensive zone from time-to-time, but I feel like with a full training camp, and season with the Marlies, that tendency will fade over time.
• The Moore-Gauthier-Timashov line spent the majority of their time in the offensive zone and the trio was excellent on Friday night. Moore, in particular, was impressive.
• Nicolas Mattinen was a pleasant surprise to me. The 6-foot-4 defenseman was paired with Valiev and he did a good job of positioning himself in the passing lanes.
• The Leafs fired a grand total of 30 shots in regulation and were in control for most of the night, entering the zone off the wings and frequently possessing the puck.

Next: Leafs' Goaltending Depth for the Upcoming Season

• Mitch Marner’s puck handling is off the charts. His release is very impressive as well. Overall, Marner’s offensive game is as dynamic as you would expect it to be. I’m very curious to see what the Leafs do with him this fall.