Columnist image

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

| Archive

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres will finally renew their rivalry on Monday as the division foes clash for the first time in the regular season. The teams will face-off four times in the next month, including March 15 in Buffalo and then March 26 and April 2 in Toronto. 

“I kind of like the way they set it up,” said defenceman Jake Gardiner. “Divisional games toward the end, they’re more meaningful. In this case, I don’t think as much, but, for us, it’s still a big one.”

The Sabres are playing out the stretch of another lost season. Evander Kane was just traded away and star player Jack Eichel is currently sidelined with a high ankle sprain. But Buffalo has won two of its last three with the wins coming against Atlantic Division leaders Tampa Bay and Boston. 

“It’s regroup time,” said head coach Mike Babcock. “We have a Buffalo team that will be sick and tired of hearing about the Toronto Maple Leafs so they’re going to play hard tomorrow and we have to be ready to play hard … they'll have a whole bunch of people that are battling for their life, for their livelihood, and they're going to play that hard.”

---

Babcock was fuming after his Maple Leafs fell way short in a nationally televised showpiece event for the NHL. The coach declared that, despite the late ending on Saturday night and the subsequent travel to Buffalo, his players would go through a rare Sunday practice to make up for the​ poor performance in a 5-2 Stadium Series loss to the Washington Capitals. 

So, what was practice like? 

“Well, you guys saw," said Mitch Marner. "A lot of skating and a lot of working so that’s the key point. We didn’t work last night.”

The up-tempo practice lasted around 40 minutes, which is long by Babcock standards, especially for the day after a game. Usually the workouts will be in the 20-30 minute range in these types of situations. 

“We didn’t do a lot right last night,” said alternate captain Tyler Bozak. “Didn’t stick to the system, didn’t compete hard enough so there was a reason to be upset after a game like that.”

The practice featured some puck retrieval and break-out drills. 

“We weren’t helping out enough in our D zone," Marner noted, "and I think the thing today was just making sure we’re working and getting back and kind of getting open for pucks."

But it wasn’t just one thing that felled the Leafs on Saturday; it was an uncharacteristically disjointed performance from top to bottom. 

“I talk about us being a family in here and families hold each other accountable,” said Marner. “We know what we have to do to be a winning team … We just have to keep each other accountable and make sure we all step up our game.”

“We were just doing stuff that we weren't used to doing,” said defenceman Jake Gardiner. “Skating all over the ice, not getting open for pucks … penalty kill wasn’t good enough, power play wasn’t good enough so, overall, it just wasn’t a good game.”

That goes for the coach as well as the players. 

“When you look at the whole thing, it just didn’t look like we were prepared to play in a big moment with a big opportunity and that’s disappointing for me,” Babcock said. “I’m in charge of having us prepared ... our guys will be disappointed in what happened last night, disappointed in themselves, and I’m disappointed in myself in the way it happened.”

—-

As Gardiner pointed out, special teams were a big issue for the Leafs as Washington scored twice on the man advantage in the first period. 

“We felt we had done a real good job setting up our penalty kill and, in the end, we didn’t do one thing we wanted to do on the penalty kill so whatever happened in the translation didn’t work,” Babcock said.

It was the first time in a month that Toronto allowed two goals on the penalty kill in a game. It last happened on Feb. 3 in Boston, which was also the last time the Leafs lost a game by more than two goals. 

—-

Most players who met the media after Saturday's game noted how moving the pre-game ceremony was and how cool it was to play at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. These types of games are few and far between. There were only three outdoor games in the NHL this season and this was only the third outdoor game overall for the Leafs (2-1-0). 

“In life you only get so many opportunities,” Babcock noted post-game. “You want these to be real positive memories and, so, you've got to be prepared and you've got to be willing to play hard. A way better memory is when you win. When you don't and you don't play well in particular, it's unfortunate.”

But Marner, still just 20-years-old and in his sophomore NHL season, is hoping there will be plenty of spectacle-type moments still to come in his career.  

“Not really,” Marner said when asked if it feels like an opportunity just slipped through his grasp. “I mean, here in Toronto, a lot of winters, I’m sure there’s going to be many more opportunities for those kinds of games. It’s over with now. Nothing we can do about it now.”

—-

Toronto's line-up at practice featured a number of changes. After starting the last two games on the wing, William Nylander shifted over to centre and skated between Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. And Kasperi Kapanen was on the right wing with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak. Dominic Moore, usually a centre, was on the left side with Tomas Plekanec and Leo Komarov. 

“I haven’t made any decision on what I’m doing tomorrow,” Babcock cautioned. “Just so you understand, we changed our mind three different times today and there’s a great chance it could be changed by tomorrow.”

It is the second time Kapanen has practised on Bozak’s wing although he’s never started a game with the veteran. The last time they skated together in a workout, Kapanen noted that “he’s that guy who lets me know that I’m still a rookie and I’m still a new guy here.”

So, what about this Mr. Bozak? 

“Just joking around every day,” the 31-year-old said with a laugh. “A lot of us older guys like to joke with the younger guys. I’m sure it happens everywhere … we just like to keep’em even-keeled every now and again and let them know they still have a little time to earn it.”

Kapanen can, apparently, give as good as he gets. The Finn noted previously that Bozak spent a lot of time admiring a recent shootout goal watching the replay several times. 

“I think he’s just lying to you guys,” Bozak said with a chuckle. “He’s trying to give it back to me a little bit ... we try and keep it light as much as we can. Obviously, it’s a long year and the lighter it is in the locker room and on practice days and stuff like that, it makes it a lot more fun to come to the rink.”

Although there wasn’t much time for friendly verbal jousting on Sunday.  

“Obviously, there’s going to be bumps in the road and today it wasn’t too light in here,” Bozak admitted. “It was pretty serious.”

—-

Lines at Sunday’s practice: 

Marleau-Kadri-Marner
Hyman-Nylander-Brown
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Kapanen
Moore/Martin-Plekanec-Komarov 

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Carrick
Leivo-Polak

Andersen
McElhinney