MAPLE LEAFS notes: Tough test vs. Tampa Bay setting for Toronto’s first Prime appearance

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Published Oct 20, 2024  •  4 minute read

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Getty Images

The Maple Leafs maybe aren’t ready for prime-time contention in their conference this early, but they’re going on Prime Monday Night Hockey.

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Toronto and the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning are featured in Week 2 of the NHL’s newest attempt at appointment viewing, a national broadcast with digital-only streaming. With Sidney Crosby and the improved Montreal Canadiens as the hook, last Monday’s debut saw the Penguins win 6-3 at the Bell Centre. The Prime crew had done their run-through at Scotiabank Arena during an earlier Leaf game.

The 26 games are testing Amazon’s anticipated entry into bidding for the NHL’s Canadian TV rights when the current deal with Rogers is up in 2026 and no expense is spared with production. Veteran play-by-play man John Forslund (Hartford, Carolina, Seattle) and analysts Jody Shelley, Thomas Hickey, and Shane Hnidy are handling on-ice action, the desk anchored by Adnan Virk, Andi Petrillo, Blake Bolden and local guests. Hall of famer Mark Messier will be on the show sporadically.

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The Leafs are making five appearances in all. Prime is a very popular subscription service already in Canada, thus the league hopes there won’t be much backlash when fans who aren’t signed up look for the game Monday. The package includes a Thursday night league news and information show similar to the NFL’s and access to the new Faceoff: Inside the NHL feature series.

While it will take some getting used to compared to venerable Hockey Night in Canada and the familiar weekday regional broadcasts of Sportsnet and TSN, the league is hoping to lure a younger tech savvy demographic, especially poolies and casual fans.

BOLT STATEMENT

It was a sobering loss for the Leafs on Saturday when they skated with the deep New York Rangers most of the night, but misfired on three power plays and a late 6-on-5.

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The eventual 4-1 loss in their biggest test to date put their record at 3-2, while the dance card doesn’t get any easier with the Bolts (3-1) as part of a back-to-back with Columbus. The latter heralds three road games in the next four, taking the Leafs to Winnipeg and Boston.

“We’ve been at home a lot,” noted defenceman Morgan Rielly “It’s good to have some breaks between games (six days off in total) and practice time, but the guys want to get playing and get prepared for that tougher part of the schedule.”

The Lightning lost 5-4 in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon and what will feel unusual about this match is the absence of Steven Stamkos, a GTA native and big part of the rivalry since 2008, including two playoff series. He was seriously wooed by the Leafs as a free agent a few years ago and is now in Nashville with one goal in five games. Yet Tampa Bay, under new captain Victor Hedman, retains much of its power.

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UNDER-STUDIES GET THEIR BREAK?

Coach Craig Berube is still figuring out what fits best on his roster, but there are mixed results on who is making the most of their chances.

Expect more turnover given the need to rest some players in the glut of games coming up, as Berube keeps regulars and replacements on their toe picks.

While Anthony Stolarz has warranted the majority of starts in net during injured Joseph Woll’s absence, defenceman Timothy Liljegren has been scratched four of five games. If any blueliner comes in later in the week it might be big Philippe Myers, who has yet to play.

Winger Max Pacioretty sat his second game on Saturday and Berube’s tinkering with the third line will likely continue. Nick Robertson closed training camp with a bang — five consecutive goals — but has yet to register a point in five regular-season contests.

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Meanwhile, Berube had this to say Saturday about Pontus Holmberg, who is part of ta strong penalty kill team, but has one assist in five games despite a very good third-line centre in John Tavares and a fleet winger in Robertson.

“He came out and had a really good camp (but) to me, he’s got to battle a little harder for pucks and hang on to pucks like he was in camp in the offensive zone. Just get up to speed, he looks a little behind right now.”

ODD MAN ODDITIES

One thing the Lightning and Leafs share so far this month is a lull in power-play production.

Both were at an unsatisfactory 12.5% as of Sunday morning at 2-for-16. The Leafs lamented not getting in front of Igor Shesterkin a lot more Saturday, given he’s already one of the league’s best goalies and know that if Andrei Vasilevskiy starts Monday, the tall Tampa ‘tender has great vision through traffic.

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On the positive side, Toronto’s rotating killer cast was again in good form Saturday and is 17-for-20 on the year.

“It’s our attention to detail,” said Stolarz. “We’re doing a really good job forcing teams to stay to the outside, our sticks are in lanes and really not allowing them many good chances on those cross-seam plays.

“We have the blocked shots and really good pressure up ice to not allow them to break in easily. When teams are rimming it (dumping it in the Leafs zone with no better option), I’m able to play it and attempt to ice it. That’s on us, forcing them to make bad plays.”

Berube reminded “there were a couple (Saturday) where our goalie had to make a pretty good play.”

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