Time for Maple Leafs to buckle down for games in NHL Global Series

Article content

Get your fill of Swedish meatballs, see the sights and make sure you snap a photo or two that’s worthy of posting on social media.

Article content

It’s time for the Maple Leafs to get down to business in Stockholm, where they will look to build off what might have been their best victory of the 2023-24 season.

Article content

That’s a bit of a distant memory now, considering their win against the Vancouver Canucks at Scotiabank Arena came on Saturday night. 

With a day off in Sweden on Thursday following a couple of practices, however, there won’t be any excuses for the Leafs when they meet the Detroit Red Wings on Friday at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

The Leafs won three of their last four games before flying overseas on Monday night and, with rest factored in to what they have been doing in the Swedish capital, there’s no reason why every Leaf shouldn’t be ready from the first shift in their first game of the National Hockey League Global Series.

Article content

Article content

The same could be said of Toronto’s second game on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.

“I said to the players, we want to enjoy our time here, but not lose sight of what we’re here for,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters this week. “These are regular-season games, they are important games, important points, so let’s make sure we keep that in mind with all that we are doing.”

The Leafs’ healthy Swedish players — forwards William Nylander, Calle Jarnkrok and defenceman William Lagesson — are thrilled to be playing in their home country and won’t require a boost of motivation.

Not that Nylander, who is playing the best hockey of his NHL career, would have needed one. A 15-game point streak to set a franchise record from the start of a season is the most attractive result of Nylander’s play, but he has been solid in all facets.

Article content

The Leafs could face a tired group of Wings, as Detroit and the Ottawa Senators kicked off the Global Series on Thursday. While the Wings had the same record as the Leafs before that game at 8-5-2, Detroit had won just three of its previous nine games after winning five of its first six.

Keefe had been saying for a while before the Leafs beat the Canucks that he liked improvements he was seeing in his players’ overall performance. That came into sharper focus against Vancouver, when the Leafs got an even-strength goal from a member of each of their four lines.

Matthew Knies has been a good fit with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and Nylander could probably play with anyone on the second line and still produce (it has been John Tavares and Tyler Bertuzzi, which has been working).

Article content

Not only has Max Domi been a lot more comfortable playing centre on the third line than he was skating on the wing on any line, the addition of Nick Robertson from the Toronto Marlies has been a large benefit. Robertson, who has four points in four contests, has brought a game from the minors that is more complete than what he was providing in earlier stints with the Leafs.

And while the sample size is tiny, the insertion of Bobby McMann on the fourth line could go a long way in making the most intense Leafs fans forget that Ryan Reaves was signed to a three-year contract in the off-season. McMann assisted on two goals against the Canucks is just under 10 minutes of five-on-five ice time, and was not on for a goal against.

Reaves has played a shade under 105 minutes at five-on-five and has not been on the ice for Leafs goal. Opponents have scored 11 when Reaves is on the ice. 

Article content

A fourth line has to provide trust for the coach and that can’t happen when Reaves is in the lineup. And a fourth line that can contribute on the scoresheet every so often, of course, takes some weight off the other nine forwards. 

Keefe would love to see more of the same against Detroit and beyond.

LOOSE LEAFS

To honour the legacy of Borje Salming, the NHL Alumni Association has created the Borje Salming Courage Award, which recognizes a European NHL alumni member who has been a positive influence in their community and best embodies Salming’s lasting bravery, courage and dedication on and off the ice. The first recipient is former Wings defenceman and Hall of Fame member Nicklas Lidstrom … The Toronto Marlies on Saturday will play their first home game since Oct. 22 when they meet the Manitoba Moose. During their annual lengthy trek caused by the Royal Winter Fair on the Exhibition grounds, the Marlies went 4-2-1 in seven games … In 24 career games against the Red Wings, Nylander has 15 points (eight goals and seven assists) … Despite missing a handful of games to start the Ontario Hockey League season when he was at Leafs camp, Easton Cowan had moved into fifth in OHL scoring. Cowan, the Leafs’ first-round pick this year, had three assists on Wednesday night in the London Knights’ 5-2 road win against the Guelph Storm, bringing him to 27 points (eight goals and 19 assists) in 14 games. Each of the four players ahead of Cowan in scoring had played in 19 games. 

[email protected]

X: @koshtorontosun

Article content