John Tavares plans to play in Wednesday’s season opener.
“The butterflies never change no matter how many times you go through it,” the centre said with a smile. “Being Toronto-Montreal, there’s nothing like it as well. It should be a blast. The start of another journey.”
“It gives the team a jolt and a boost for a sure,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “His talent and what he brings to our team makes us that much more dynamic and harder to check and defend and all that and then he’s our captain so having that presence right from the start of the season is always good.”
Initially, Tavares was expected to miss the first few games after sustaining an oblique strain early in training camp, but following a pair of practices this week the 32-year-old is convinced he’s ready. Why?
“Just the way I felt in the contact,” Tavares said, “especially with the group here the last couple days and the intensity of that physical [play] and how I responded afterwards. It only continues to feel better and better so that’s a really good sign.”
Tavares expects to play in Leafs opener: ‘The butterflies never change’
John Tavares says things are looking good for him to be ready for the Maple Leafs’ season opener, which he admits he still gets butterflies for. Head coach Sheldon Keefe says having tavares available gives the team ‘a jolt and a boost for sure,’ adding his presence makes the team that much more dynamic.
Tavares will start in his usual spot on the second line and on the top power-play unit, but Keefe expects the Mississauga, Ont., native to be “a little behind” after only playing in one pre-season game on Sept. 24. Tavares, though, isn’t worried.
“I believe in my game and trust myself,” he said. “A lot of work [was] put in throughout the off-season and the early part of camp before the injury and then even just during the rehab time and the past week here with the amount of times I’ve been on the ice maximizing each rep and each opportunity to get myself ready. It is what it is. It’s a long season, a long grind and I’m just focused on being ready for tomorrow.”
Keefe pointed out that the Leafs have the type of team that can insulate players like Tavares, Pierre Engvall (foot injury) and Rasmus Sandin (contract stalemate) who missed part of training camp.
“We have a really deep team and a really good team,” noted Keefe. “We don’t need any one guy coming into the lineup feeling like they have to take on too much. That is the nice thing about our group: We can allow guys to come in, ease their way back in and take it from there.”
‘I believe in my game’: Tavares not worried about injury impacting his start
John Tavares missed a good chunk of training camp but he says the work he put in during the offseason and trust he has in himself will help fill the gaps as he hits the ground running. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said it is natural that Tavares may be a little behind but believes if he just goes out and does his job he will be just fine.
Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky will make his NHL debut on Wednesday. During the NHL combine, Slafkovsky named Auston Matthews as his favourite player to watch.
“He’s just good all over the ice, even in the D-zone,” Slafkovsky said in June. “He’s good everywhere and he can score a lot of goals.”
What impression has the latest first overall pick made on Matthews?
“He looked pretty good in the [pre-season] game we played in Montreal,” said Matthews. “He’s so big and powerful out there. He’s a really solid player all around.”
Matthews set a record with a four-goal NHL debut back in 2016. He’s been a fast starter in his NHL career posting nine goals and three assists in five season-opening games.
“It’s the first game of the season so I think it’s pretty self explanatory why it means a lot and it’s exciting,” Matthews said. “It’s the start of a new journey, a new season so kind of a clean slate.”
Matthews missed the first three games last season as he continued to recover from off-season wrist surgery.
Leafs Ice Chips: First things first for Matthews and Slafkovsky
The Maple Leafs will hit the road for their season opener against the Canadiens Wednesday which will also mark the regular season debut for top pick Juraj Slafkovsky. Auston Matthews shared his first impressions of the rookie and recalled what he felt on the day before his NHL debut. Mark Masters has more.
Is this the best goalie tandem Keefe has had as Leafs coach?
“We were well aware of the fact that we really needed to help both guys [Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov] get on track, but when I look at the talent and the experience, I would definitely put it that way,” the coach said. “We have obviously had guys with ability here in the past, but I look at Murray’s time in the league, his accomplishments, the experience he has in winning the Stanley Cups and being a part of great teams. Samsonov was a high first-round pick [22nd overall in 2015] and performed as a starting goalie in the playoffs last year. We have two guys who really give us confidence there.”
Murray will get the season-opening start.
“It means a lot,” said the Thunder Bay, Ont., native, who grew up cheering on the Leafs. “There’s definitely a lot of excitement for me getting that first game and looking to get off on the right foot.”
“He has earned it,” said Keefe. “At the same time so has Samsonov, but in Murray’s case, he is the guy with more experience. I think it is just natural for me to do it that way. We just think it is important to give Murray the first game.”
Murray on getting the opening-night start in Montreal: ‘It means a lot’
Matt Murray has been given the start for the Maple Leafs’ season opener Wednesday against the Canadiens. Murray expressed his excitement to get off on the right foot and head coach Sheldon Keefe explained why he decides to go with Murray as the opening night starter over Ilya Samsonov.
Defenceman Mark Giordano, 39, will open the season as the quarterback of the second power-play unit.
“He has a lot of experience there,” Keefe explained. “We really like what he brought to that unit when he came in last season. He is a little more willing to shoot the puck from the top and does a good job there with that. When the second unit gets out there, they don’t have a lot of time. Having a little more of a shot mentality there is important.”
The Leafs will have two defencemen on the second unit at times and Sandin, 22, did take some reps on the flank during Tuesday’s practice.
“We want to use both,” Keefe said. “There is a different skill set and a different experience. Gio, being here from day one of camp, has worked with that group and all of those kinds of things. It is just a little more natural for that to just flow into the season. We will continue to work Rasmus into it.”
Lines at Tuesday’s practice:
Bunting – Matthews – Marner
Nylander – Tavares – Malgin
Engvall – Kerfoot – Jarnkrok
Aston-Reese – Kampf – Aube-Kubel
Rielly – Brodie
Muzzin – Holl
Giordano – Sandin
Murray
Samsonov
Power play units at Tuesday’s practice:
1st unit: Rielly, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares
2nd unit: Giordano, Jarnkrok, Malgin/Sandin, Kerfoot, Bunting
5-on-3: Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marner, Rielly/Bunting
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