TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre in Toronto on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Sheldon Keefe isn’t reading too much into Toronto’s blown leads in the third period last week.
“It’s important that we don’t overreact and try to create much of a complex around here,” the coach said. “Just continue to go out and work and look at the greater sample and trust ourselves.”
Prior to last week, the Leafs had been 17-1 under Keefe when holding a lead in the final period. Then last Monday against the Florida Panthers they squandered a 3-1 lead in the third, losing in regulation after Andersen exited with the injury. On Friday, Toronto also blew a 3-1 advantage against the Anaheim Ducks before salvaging the win in overtime. On Saturday, Toronto grabbed a 1-0 edge in Montreal early in the third before surrendering a late equalizer and losing to the Canadiens in overtime.
“The trend, of course, is that they’re all third periods and all that, but when we look at the issues in each of the games there’s no real trend there for us,” Keefe said. “So, we’re hoping it’s just a funny week and the way things worked out.”
After Friday’s loss, Keefe said the Leafs played like a “fragile group.”
“We just got to get our swagger back,” said winger Kasperi Kapanen. “We’re a great hockey team and we’ve been working really hard on our D-zone and trying to be better there and I think we have, but the third period comes around and we get a bit nervous.”
In the last two third periods, Toronto has been outshot 31-5, including 16-1 on Saturday, but Keefe was actually happy with how his team defended against the Canadiens.
“Defensively, we did a really good job and that’s been a big focus of ours,” Keefe said. “We scored early and then kind of got on our heels … but we felt all the shots, including the goal, were from the outside and that’s a positive for us relative to what we were giving up in the past.”
So, what happened? A team oozing with high-end skill suddenly started misfiring.
“I just think we’re getting away from our game,” said Marner. “We’re not playing with the confidence we need … We’re not getting in the offensive zone enough. To go in and only get one shot is unacceptable. I felt like we gave the game to them in the third.”
One of the rallying cries for Keefe since taking over is “Fight the panic” and hold onto the puck more.
“It’s just supporting each other,” explained defenceman Travis Dermott, “and then if they do get a little momentum swing it’s not breaking down, it’s coming back to the net, staying deep, supporting each other, not getting too stretched out, talking and then kind of working it through that way instead of panicking, shooting the puck out of the zone, giving it back to them and letting them come right back at us. It’s sometimes hard to fight that panic.”
Keefe’s possession-based system works best when the team takes care of the puck, but on Saturday night in the third period the Leafs seemed to slide back into some bad habits.
“It feels like we’re forcing plays that we usually don’t and we’ve gotten away from,” noted Marner, “trying to just force stuff up the middle or to a stretch guy who’s by himself on an island. We know what we got to do to be better so tomorrow’s going to be a better showing for us, let’s hope.”
‘Fight the panic’: Leafs hope blown third period leads just a ‘funny week’
The Maple Leafs have given up third period leads as of late and they believe it could be an issue of confidence and some nerves. The team insists as long as they support each other, they will eventually figure it out. Mark Masters has more.
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Frederik Andersen participated fully in practice for the first time since sustaining a neck injury last Monday.
“It’s feeling good,” the goalie said after the session. “First practice back with the team today was pretty positive.”
Andersen had his own net during most of the workout while Jack Campbell and Michael Hutchinson rotated at the other end. If Andersen isn’t ready, then Campbell will start against Arizona.
Andersen got bumped a couple times in the game against the Panthers, but wouldn’t list one hit that led to the injury.
“I can’t tell you which one was the worst,” Andersen said.
Some injuries you can play through, but the nature of this neck injury makes it tough, Andersen said.
“I don’t want to go into specifics, but just making sure that I can play to the level I need to be at and making sure there are no symptoms … make sure we don’t rush anything.”
Andersen refused to answer when asked if he’s dealt with this type of injury previously.
After going 1-2-1 last week and with four more games in the next six days, the Leafs are eagerly anticipating Andersen’s return.
“Freddie’s been unbelievable so it’s big news if he is back,” said winger Mitch Marner, “and brings a little more confidence to our team.”
TSN’s Kristen Shilton has more on Andersen’s status here.
‘It’s feeling good … pretty positive’: Andersen possible to return Tuesday
Frederik Andersen didn’t want to go into detail about his injury but did say he is feeling good and a return on Tuesday has not been ruled out. The Maple Leafs goaltender also said it is important that he isn’t rushed back and he believes the medical staff is ensuring that does not happen.
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William Nylander returned to practice after missing the last two games due to an illness.
“I feel way better today, that’s for sure,” the 23-year-old said while holding a cup of chicken broth. “I don’t know what exactly it was, just high fever and just felt terrible.”
Monday’s practice was the first time Nylander skated since Wednesday’s game.
“Legs felt fine,” he insisted, “it was more so (about my) breathing after not doing anything.”
“I thought he looked fine,” said Keefe. “Willie’s a guy that loves to skate all the time and stay with that consistently so I’m sure he didn’t feel (like) himself, but we’re happy to see him back in the building.”
Nylander had been on a nine-game point streak with six goals in that span before getting sick. Is he worried some of the momentum will be lost?
“No,” he said with a grin, “I’m not too worried about that.”
‘I’m not too worried’: Nylander doesn’t expect illness absence to slow momentum
William Nylander was enjoying a good stretch personally before falling ill but he doesn’t expect any momentum that he has gained on the ice to be impacted by his brief absence.
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The flu bug seems to be making its way through the dressing room, with centre John Tavares and defenceman Justin Holl the latest to get sick. Both missed practice, but Keefe is optimistic they’ll play Tuesday night.
“I am expecting them, yes,” Keefe said. “However, it’s an illness and you don’t know how that’s going to affect our guys so a lot of those people will be game-time decisions and, of course, we’re hoping it’s something that doesn’t spread.”
Precautions are being made.
“Everyone’s just got to make sure they’re taking care,” Marner said, “and when they’re at the rink taking all the vitamins and stuff like that. It happens every year and it’s something that sucks.”
Dermott, who missed a recent game due to food poisoning, noted that players are leaning on Margaret Hughes, the team’s lead performance dietician, to help them get through the flu season.
Leafs Ice Chips: Tavares, Holl miss practice as illness hits the room
There were plenty of missing bodies at Maple Leafs practice on Monday as an illness has made its way through the room. Mark Masters has more on the sick players and who else was missing from the morning skate.
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Toronto’s offensive struggles on Saturday extended to the power play, which had a rare off night producing just two shots in two missed opportunities.
“Some of our spacing and decision-making coming out of our zone was an issue,” Keefe said. “So, you don’t get that right coming out of your zone then you’re going to end up getting jammed up at the blueline as you’re trying to enter. That’s something we had to do better.”
There was a focus on zone entries during the video session.
“Tyson (Barrie), a couple times coming out, was a little indecisive with what to do with the puck and then that stalled us,” Keefe added.
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There was a radar gun present at practice on Monday with shot speeds getting displayed on a monitor near the bench.
“I just noticed it when Kappy was shooting,” Andersen said with a smile. “I think he got it up to 60. I don’t know if he was holding back a bit.”
“It doesn’t work well for me,” a deadpan Marner said. “I don’t like it.”
Marner won’t have to worry about it moving forward, it appears. It seems like the radar gun’s presence was simply a fluke.
“I don’t know where it came from or whose idea it was, but it doesn’t interest me much,” said Keefe.
The presence of the monitor, for one day at least, did lead to some questions about which Leaf owns the hardest shot.
“Pierre (Engvall) actually has a very hard shot,” said Andersen, who would arguably know best. “Pierre’s is sneaky hard and comes at you heavy.”
“It depends what kind of shot,” said Nylander. “Wrist shot, probably Auston (Matthews).”
“It’s a tough question,” Kapanen said. “(Jake Muzzin) is probably up there or my centreman (Jason Spezza), he’s got a pretty heavy slap shot so I’d have to pick Spezz.”
Random radar gun at Leafs practice raises the question: Who has hardest shot?
A radar gun crept its way into Maple Leafs practice and although some players didn’t even notice, a few did, and it opened up some chirping possibilities. It also brought up the opportunity to wonder which player on the team has the hardest shot.
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Dealing with some bumps and bruises, winger Zach Hyman stayed off the ice on Monday for maintenance. Newly-acquired winger Kyle Clifford missed the workout to attend his grandfather’s funeral. And, at one point, Barrie briefly left the ice.
“It was a challenge,” a smiling Keefe said of running practice. “At one point we might [have] had as many goalies as we had defencemen. Coming from the American League you’re used to having different challenges such as this and guys adjusted just fine.”
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday the forfeitures that volleyball teams are willing to take to avoid playing San Jose State is “not what we celebrate in college athletics” and that she is heartbroken over what has transpired this season surrounding the Spartans and their opponents.
Four teams have canceled games against San Jose State: Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming, with none of the schools explicitly saying why they were forfeiting.
A group of Nevada players issued a statement saying they will not take the floor when the Wolf Pack are scheduled to host the Spartans on Oct. 26. They cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” though their school reaffirmed Thursday that the match is still planned and that state law bars forfeiture “for reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
All those schools, except Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, went ahead with its home match on Thursday night, which was won by the Spartans, 3-1, the team’s first victory since Sept. 24.
“It breaks my heart because they’re human beings, young people, student-athletes on both sides of this issue that are getting a lot of national negative attention,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West basketball media days. “It just doesn’t feel right to me.”
Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee in this year’s presidential race, this week referenced an unidentified volleyball match when he was asked during a Fox News town hall about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“I saw the slam, it was a slam. I never saw a ball hit so hard, hit the girl in the head,” Trump replied before he was asked what can be done. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just don’t let it happen.”
After Trump’s comment, San Diego State issued a statement that said “it has been incorrectly reported that an San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball during match play with San Jose State University. The ball bounced off the shoulder of the student-athlete, and the athlete was uninjured and did not miss a play.”
San Jose State has not made any direct comments about the politicians’ “fairness” references, and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about the issue,” Nevarez said. “I don’t know a lot of the language yet or the science or the understanding nationally of how this issue plays out. The external influences are so far on either side. We have an election year. It’s political, so, yeah, it feels like a no-win based on all the external pressure.”
The cancellations could mean some teams will not qualify for the conference tournament Nov. 27-30 in Las Vegas, where the top six schools are slated to compete for the league championship.
“The student-athlete (in question) meets the eligibility standard, so if a team does not play them, it’s a forfeit, meaning they take a loss,” Nevarez said.
Ahead of the Oct. 26 match in Reno. Nevada released a statement acknowledging that “a majority of the Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team” had decided to forfeit against San Jose State. The school said only the university can take that step but any player who decides not to play would face no punishment.
OTTAWA – Travis Green might not have liked the end result, but he’s counting on his team learning from the effort.
Green’s Ottawa Senators were handed a 3-1 loss by the New Jersey Devils Thursday night in a game that highlighted the importance of sticking with things.
“I thought both teams played pretty well,” said Green. “I thought we had a lot of the game that I liked, but I thought there’s a few moments where it got away. We got away from our game, and they stuck with their game a little longer.
“There’s always momentum back and forth for one team to create some chances. It’s a fine line between winning and losing in the league, especially when you’re playing, two good teams are playing.”
Jacob Markstrom’s 30 saves also played a part, with the Devils goaltender only getting beat with 65 seconds left in regulation as the Senators were on the power play with an empty net.
Brady Tkachuk tipped a Claude Giroux shot to spoil Markstrom’s shutout bid.
“Outstanding,” said Devils coach Sheldon Keefe of his goaltender. “Just terrible that he doesn’t get the shutout that he deserves in this one here.
“You feel for him when they make that (penalty) call. You can just kind of feel like it’s going to give them a little extra life. But he was outstanding for us, no question.”
The two teams were scoreless after the first period, where each had to fight for every opportunity. Noah Gregor rang a shot off the crossbar for the Senators, but otherwise, neither team was able to generate much offensively.
The Devils capitalized in the second as a power play expired with Erik Haula redirecting a Johnathan Kovacevic shot past Anton Forsberg, who made 32 saves.
Less than four minutes later, Nathan Bastian took advantage of a Giroux giveaway and beat Forsberg low blocker for his first of the season with the Devils short-handed.
“I liked our second period a lot,” Keefe said. “We took hold of the game and didn’t give up much, and when we did, I thought it was really from the perimeter, only a couple there.”
The Devils tightened up defensively in the third and were able to make it 3-0 when Paul Cotter was left alone in the slot.
“I think for stretches of the game we played the right way and kind of get in on the forecheck and play that way,” said Senators centre Nick Cousins. “It seems like when we get down a couple goals, we kind of change our game, which isn’t a recipe for success in this league.
“I think we’ve just got to keep doing the right things over and over again, even when it’s 2-0.”
With the Senators just four games in and still learning and adjusting to a new system, Green understands there will be growing pains along the way.
“We’re also trying to define our game,” he said. “I think we’re getting there. Both teams play fast. It was a fast skating game. There wasn’t a lot of room to move out there for either team.”
In his short tenure behind the Senators bench, Green has seen his team play very different styles of games and knows there will be nights like this along the way, but learning from them will be key.
“There’s going to be a lot of nights where you kind of got to earn everything you get,” admitted Green. “It’s not going to be freewheeling. Good teams don’t play freewheeling hockey.
“You learn when you win, you learn when you lose games that you don’t play well. You learn when you lose games that you had a pretty good game but you still lose and you’ve got to find a way. Good teams find a way to win those games.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. They also lost their top minute-muncher in the process.
Matheson logged 7:35 in ice time during the first period but did not return for the second because of an upper-body injury. When or how Matheson sustained the injury was not clear. The Canadiens said he would be re-evaluated on Friday.
The game was tied at 1 before he exited, forcing the Canadiens to play with five defencemen for 40 minutes.
“Mike is one of the biggest parts of our D core, and I think losing him — he’s playing against top line, playing power play and we want him on the ice — definitely losing him was a big loss,” teammate David Savard said. “We got to figure out a way to get the two points, even if a player goes out.”
The 30-year-old Matheson of Pointe-Claire, Que., led all Canadiens defencemen with 62 points and a 25:33 average ice time last season.
With his absence, rookie sensation Lane Hutson played a whopping 30:05 in only his seventh NHL game. The next closest player? Kaiden Guhle at 23:09.
Head coach Martin St. Louis was impressed with how the 20-year-old Hutson handled the challenge.
“Lane doesn’t take a shift off,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “I love the consistency of his compete level, and he drives possession. For a guy who played 30 minutes, I think he gave everything he could to try and help the team.
“I’m not surprised. I know it’s challenging at this level, losing Mike definitely made him play many minutes, chasing the game made him play many minutes, but I just love his compete level.”
Canadiens fans have been clamouring for Hutson — a five-foot-nine, 162-pound defenceman with world-class skill — to take Matheson’s spot on the No. 1 power play.
The Canadiens, however, went 0-for-3 with Hutson running the show after Matheson went down. In the first instance, Kirby Dach took a hooking penalty early in the man-advantage to end it. On the second, the Canadiens failed to generate any zone time.
The third came in the final minutes, but the Kings buried an empty-netter.
“It wasn’t a lack of opportunity, lots of ice time, lots of shifts,” Hutson said. “It was good, it was fun, but obviously you want to be on the other side of it, winning.
“Means a lot (to get that opportunity), but obviously, you want to get more out of that opportunity. It’s a lot of ice, and you want to keep taking steps in the right direction.”
‘IMMATURE EFFORT’
The Canadiens fell to a Kings team that had lost three straight games and was coming off a 6-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Under those circumstances, the Canadiens were brutally honest with themselves after the game.
“Definitely disappointed,” captain Nick Suzuki said. “It was an immature effort from us, especially with them playing yesterday and getting in late, so I think we gave them too much life, and let them feel comfortable in the game. It’s on us to be a lot better than that.”
Before the game, St. Louis stressed the need for a good first period against a fatigued Los Angeles side. That’s not what he saw Thursday night.
“I think we had 14 turnovers in the first period. It’s unacceptable. It gives them life,” he said. “Then you’re chasing the game for the second half of it — we didn’t play to our standard.
“I’m really disappointed. Really disappointed.”
BIG SAVE DAVE
Kings goalie David Rittich played his second game in two nights — an unusual occurrence in this day and age of the NHL. He made 25 saves after allowing four goals on 14 shots in Toronto.
“We always believe in him anyway, but he performed today pretty well and bounced back,” defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov said. “It’s probably like most important for himself, that’s huge, and for the team. He played outstanding today.”
LONG ROAD
The Kings are opening the season on a seven-game road trip because of renovations at Crypto.com Arena. They’ve collected six of a possible 10 points so far.
“Pretty much worse (than expected),” forward Phillip Danault said. “We’ve been on the road for three weeks … It’s good team-bonding, whether we should do it again I’m not sure, but it has turned out well let’s say with six points out of 10.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
