Hildeby builds trust with calm NHL debut  

The Maple Leafs beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Thursday night in Newark. The team is off on Friday. 

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After finding out he would make his National Hockey League debut on Thursday, Dennis Hildeby did not call his family in Sweden. 

"I kept it by text," the 23-year-old said after backstopping the Leafs to a win in New Jersey. "I knew my parents would be emotional and it would mess with my head a little bit. I did my best to take this game on like any other."

Of course, it wasn't. 

"It's been a special day filled with emotions I'm not used to, really, and dealing with all that," Hildeby told TSN after turning aside 21 of 23 shots against the Devils. "Very thankful we could get a win to help improve this memory too." 

With Joseph Woll on injured reserve due to what the team is calling "lower-body tightness" and Anthony Stolarz in need of a rest after a strong opening-night effort, the Leafs handed the 6-foot-7 Hildeby the biggest moment of his young career. He took full advantage. 

"I did a good job apart from one of the goals maybe," said Hildeby, who felt he could have had a Timo Meier shot late in the second period. "It felt good, which is good to take with me, [know] that I can play at this level, which is a huge confidence boost."

With goaltending depth in the spotlight earlier than expected this season, Hildeby built up some trust with Toronto's new head coach. 

"He was solid," Craig Berube said. "He was tested on the power play, for sure. He came up big. I thought he made some really big saves for us. Very happy for him."

Berube acknowledged the decision to call up Hildeby over two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray was made by management. Murray is still getting up to full speed after playing just three games in the American Hockey League last season following bilateral hip surgery. 

Berube didn't sense any nerves from Hildeby despite his inexperience. Instead, he said Hildeby seemed calm. Teammates noticed that as well. 

"The Beast? Calm, cool, collected," said forward Steven Lorentz. "He looked like a vet in there."

"Absolute professional," said forward Bobby McMann. "He was calm, steady. Looked big all game. It was nice to watch."

Hildeby excelled at the AHL level last year in what was his first full season in North America. He earned a couple call-ups to the Leafs and, although he didn't get into a game, made an impression. 

"Really happy for him, but also not surprising," said centre John Tavares. "I think he's shown in his time here, and certainly training camp this year coming in, his potential, his skill set, and the belief that's growing there."

Teammates greeted Hildeby with big cheers and back pats as he entered the dressing room after the game. 

"There was a lot of noise," he said with a smile. "Just trying to get in my seat, honestly. It's a good feeling. Better than quiet."

Hildeby, who was a fourth-round pick by the Leafs in 2022, will enjoy a quiet moment with his parents on Friday. They have a lot to talk about. 

"It feels amazing," he said, "especially, like, I know how much it means to my family. It means a lot."

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Lorentz scored his first goal as a Leaf on Thursday night and there was a message from his dad waiting for him when he checked his phone after the win. 

"He just said, 'How are you going to top that on Saturday night?'" the Kitchener, Ont. native said with a big smile. "I said, 'I don't know, man. We'll see.'" 

The Leafs will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in their home opener.  

Lorentz became a Leafs fan growing up while watching games with his dad. He always dreamed of playing for his hometown team and now is living that dream. The 28-year-old winger is known for his energetic play, but so far this season he's taken it to another level. He also assisted on a goal by McMann and landed two hits on Thursday night. 

"I don't know if we're going to be doing this every single night, night in and night out, for the whole season, but definitely I got my foot on the gas," he said. "I'm feeling really good right now, so I'm just hoping to keep this going."

Lorentz, who attended training camp on a professional tryout before signing a one-year contract, seems to be a perfect fit for Berube's north-south system. 

"He just likes it a little more old school," said Lorentz, who is the tallest forward on the team at 6-foot-4. "It's a winning formula." 

Lorentz speaks from experience. He helped the Florida Panthers win a Stanley Cup last season while dressing in 16 of their 24 playoff games.  

"You obviously have your skill guys that are gifted, and they can make all the plays," Lorentz noted. "But [Berube] wants big bodies and guys who can skate and stuff to create that energy ... That's the kind of style that does well in the playoffs and, if you want a long season, you need guys that are going to do that. So, our bottom six, we're happy to do stuff like that."

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McMann failed to impress Berube during training camp and was forced to watch Wednesday's opener as a healthy scratch. 

"I want to contribute and play every game," the 6-foot-2 winger said. "But that's just the nature of the business, and I was ready when I was called on."

Berube felt McMann was hesitant and didn't play to his power-forward identity in the pre-season, but the undrafted 28-year-old insists he didn't make any adjustments during his season debut. 

"Sometimes things don't necessarily go your way or the way that you anticipate them to, but it's just trusting the process and trusting what's worked for you before," he said. "Playing hard and playing simple is going to show results."

It certainly did on Thursday night as the trio of Lorentz, McMann and David Kampf was all over the Devils. 

"Our line played fast and hard on pucks," said McMann, who signed a two-year extension amid a strong finish to last season. "We were smart with it. We tried to play in their zone as much as possible."

With McMann drawing in, Ryan Reaves sat as a healthy scratch on Thursday. 

"When you have the depth that we do obviously some guys are going to come out maybe not when they deserve to," noted Lorentz. "It's an unfortunate part of the business, but that's a good problem to have."

Lorentz was a healthy scratch for much of last year's regular season. He only got into 38 regular season games with the Panthers before earning more time in the playoffs. 

"It keeps your guys competitive, and it's that inner competitiveness that keeps the bus going forward," Lorentz stressed. "When you get lackadaisical, and guys are content, then it's easier to kind of sit back and take things for granted."

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The Leafs also got production from the third line on Thursday as veteran winger Max Pacioretty recorded his first goal as a Leaf. 

"It meant a lot, because I want to prove that I'm a different player from last year," the 35-year-old forward told TSN during an intermission interview. "That's not just scoring goals, but playing the right way and using the speed that I feel like I gained this summer."

After returning from a second Achilles tear in January, Pacioretty scored just four goals in 47 games with the Washington Capitals last season. Like Lorentz, he attended Leafs training camp on a professional tryout before signing a one-year contract. 

Pacioretty leads the Leafs in CorsiFor percentage through two games, per NaturalStatTrick.com. Shot attempts favour Toronto 33-11 when Pacioretty is on the ice in 5-on-5 play. 

"Our line's gotten off to a good start," he said. "We want to keep building."

Pacioretty is playing alongside Nick Robertson, 23, and Pontus Holmberg, 25.  

"I need my linemates young legs when you start off the season with a back-to-back and they certainly brought it," Pacioretty said. "They're skating all over the ice, making life easy on myself, and I'm fortunate to play with guys like that."

Holmberg has played 93 NHL games while Robertson has suited up in 89. Pacioretty has played in 904.  

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Toronto's big summer signings are making an immediate impact on the blue line.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up an assist on Thursday and has already landed six shots on net. Meanwhile, Chris Tanev has blocked seven shots while fitting in nicely beside Morgan Rielly on the top pair. 

"The additions on defence change a lot of things for the group," Leafs-turned-Devils coach Sheldon Keefe told TSN before Thursday's game. "Both in terms of what Ekman-Larsson can bring on the offensive side and the defensive side, but certainly his ability to activate and be involved in the offence. And with the way Tanev breaks the puck out and the way he defends hard, is a partner for Morgan, like, all these kind of things make their defence more formidable."

Keefe also highlighted the internal growth up front for the Leafs. 

"The young guys are taking a step," Keefe noted. "You look at Holmberg, Robertson, [Matthew] Knies, these guys are ready to take on a lot more." 

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Jake McCabe uses the word 'calm' to describe both Ekman-Larsson, a Stanley Cup champion with Florida last season, and Tanev, who just helped the Dallas Stars reach the Western Conference final. 

McCabe and Tanev are Toronto's top defensive duo on the penalty kill.  

"Just a really calm demeanour out there and can kind of direct traffic and make sure everyone is on the same page before faceoffs," McCabe said prior to Thursday's game. "We've had good communication throughout and trying to learn from each other, learn each other's tendencies, and talking about whatever the power play we're facing that night brings."

At even strength, McCabe has been paired with Ekman-Larsson since the start of training camp. 

"Just another calm presence back there that's been around for a while," McCabe said. "He's got a great long stick. I think that's under-appreciated is his defensive abilities and, obviously, with the puck he can do special things. He can sling it from the point. He can walk the line really good. He can kill penalties, run the power play, so he's very versatile for us."

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Usually short and to the point during his media sessions, Berube offered a lengthy answer on Thursday night when asked about the team's struggling power play. 

"Our entries aren't very good," he said. "Both [opponents] have played the line pretty stacked, and we are not putting pucks in, going to work, and getting them back. That is one area."

The Leafs have failed to convert on six power-play chances in the two games. After the loss in Montreal, Berube called for a more direct approach. He didn't see that in New Jersey. 

"We are not shooting and attacking enough," Berube said. "We are kind of passing it around, looking to pass it in the net, rather than just attacking, shooting, getting pucks there, and making recoveries."

The personnel on the top unit is unchanged from recent seasons, but there is a new assistant coach overseeing the power play in Marc Savard, which may lead to an adjustment period.

"There were some plays that were there," Berube said. "We are just not seeing them right now. We are not quick enough making them. We had a backdoor play to Rielly. If it is quicker, it is a goal, right? There are plays there, but they are not seeing it clean right now. We have to look at some video with them and then work on it."

The power play was a major issue down the stretch last season and only scored once in 21 tries in the playoffs. But, historically, the top unit of Rielly, Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander has been strong in the regular season. 

"We haven't executed very well, obviously," Tavares said on Thursday night. "There's always things to work at and it's a long season. It's a grind. Certainly, a very important part of the game, so we'll obviously take a look at it, work at it, and get better because, you know, it needs to be better."

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Leafs lines in Thursday's game: 

Knies - Matthews - Marner
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
Pacioretty - Holmberg - Robertson
McMann - Kampf - Lorentz

Rielly - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - McCabe
Benoit - Timmins

Hildeby starts 
Stolarz