Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament Day 2 Notes, Thoughts and Observations

The Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a slow start against the Montreal Canadiens during their second game at the Rookie Tournament, but, thanks to an excellent second period, they defeated the Habs 4-3.

Maple Leafs Scratches:

Defensemen:

No. 59 Stephen Desrocher
No. 73 Nikolas Brouillard
No. 78 Ty Stanton
No. 89 Jon Jutzi

Forwards:

No. 64 JJ Piccinich
No. 74 Chase Witala
No. 76 Mason Marchment
No. 79 Cason Hohmann
No. 83 Jack Walker
No. 90 Tyler Wong
No. 92 Tye Felhaber

Recap:

The Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Montreal Canadiens in front of a lively crowd on Saturday night at the Budweiser Gardens. The two fan bases filled the arena with energy well before puck drop and it carried over into the game.

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The opening five minutes consisted of both teams struggling to gain zone entry, but once the players settled in, the back-and-forth pace created scoring chances for both teams. Mitch Marner and Travis Dermott stood out early for the Leafs, as Dermott threw the body around and Marner displayed his usual slick stick handling.

The first goal would come midway through the first period when the line of Jeremy Bracco, Adam Brooks and Andreas Johnsson, which was productive during the first 20 minutes of play, created an excellent opportunity in front of the Canadiens’ net, but were unable to capitalize. It led to an odd man rush the other way and forward Daniel Audette ripped a one-timer in the slot past Antoine Bibeau’s glove. Defenseman Victor Mete and forward William Bitten were credited with the assists on the goal.

The Leafs would have an opportunity to answer back around the eight minute mark when Canadiens defenseman Michael Zipp headed to the penalty box for a roughing penalty.

The Leafs were unable to score on the power play, but Marner had an excellent opportunity to tie the game up when he skated into the slot and just missed the top left-hand corner with a snapshot.

The Leafs kept the momentum after the power play and Tobias Lindberg, who has a knack for being around the net, nearly tied it up, but Zachary Fucale made a sprawling cross-crease save to deny the Swede.

Shortly after Fucale’s highlight reel save, the Leafs would get on the board with just under three minutes left in the period, as defenseman Keaton Middleton scored from atop the right circle on what looked like a harmless wrist shot. Martins Dzierkals and Nikita Korostelev were credited with the assists.

The Canadiens had a great opportunity to score late in the period when captain Michael McCarron almost sprung free for a breakaway, but Marner slowed McCarron down just enough to disrupt his shot. It was a great effort by Marner, who looked better in the first period than he did against the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.

Must Read: Leafs Rookie Tournament Day 1 Notes and Observartions

The Leafs got off to a bit of a slow start early in the second period, making a few mistakes that pinned them in their own end, but once they settled in, boy, we’re they dominating.

Their constant pressure eventually led to a goal, as Tony Cameranesi put the Leafs ahead 2-1 when he grabbed his own rebound, which was a gift by Fucale, and made no mistake.

Less than a minute after Cameranesi’s goal, Lindberg took advantage of a turnover in front of the Canadiens’ net and he put the Leafs up by two.

The Leafs would fire 18 shots on net during the second period and held a considerable 25-14 advantage after 40 minutes of play. Considering how dominant the Leafs were, the Canadiens were lucky to escape the second period only down by two goals.

Dzierkals and Korstelev were particularly impressive during the second period, as both players registered assists. Dermott continued to play well, consistently putting himself in a good position, and Marner had this nifty little feed.

The Maple Leafs would run into a bit of penalty trouble in the third period and the Canadiens would take advantage. McCarron scored his first of two power play goals seven minutes into the third period following a Lindberg penalty.

McCarron would then strike again on the power play with just under eight minutes left, using his long reach to slide a backhander past Bibeau. With the game all tied at three, the Leafs would put their penalty kill to the test again, as Dermott took a tripping penalty with four minutes left.

All the penalties gave the Canadiens life in the third period, but after killing off Dermott’s penalty, the Leafs would get some good fortune, as Andrew Nielsen stepped into the slot and threw a wrist shot right through the five-hole of Fucale with just over a minute remaining in regulation.

After taking a penalty earlier in the period, Nielsen more than made up for his mistake with the goal. The Leafs would withstand the Canadiens’ last ditch effort with the extra attacker and hang on to a 4-3 victory.

The three stars of the night were:

3) Andrew Nielsen
2) Victor Mete
1) Nikita Korostelev

Thoughts and Observations:

Martins Dzierkals was fantastic on Saturday night. The flying Latvian was all over the ice, creating chances, throwing the body, and even staying in plays after losing a glove. There was a lot to like about his game.

For those curious, the Leafs’ first power play unit was: Lindberg-Smith-Marner-Dermott-Nielsen, and their second power play unit was: Cameranesi-Johnsson-Bracco-Brooks-Valiev.

Jeremy Bracco left early in the third period after he was hit in the face. From the angle I had, it was tough to see what exactly hit him, but he immediately skated to the bench and headed to the locker room with a towel over his face.

Dermott was very impressive on Saturday night. He was physical, moved the puck well, and constantly kept himself in good positioning. It was his first game of the tourney, but he certainly made an impression on the Leafs’ brass.

Bibeau put together a decent performance on Saturday night. There were a few blemishes, like the second McCarron goal, but, for the most part, he was solid. He did showcase his nasty straight left, though.

Next: Leafs' Goaltending Depth for the Upcoming Season

• Nielsen and Dermott have become close friends and the two look to be here for the long haul with the Leafs. Both work hard on the ice, play with an edge, and compliment each other well. The future looks bright for those two.