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TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators.

Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton have a lot in common these days, including their line assignment. 

"To see them play together, it's pretty cool," said Leafs captain John Tavares. "We're getting a kick out of it. Two elite players. Two of the best in the game, future Hall of Famers. It's tremendous to see the love and passion they have for the game and their teammates and what it means to be an NHL player. Those two guys came here towards the end of their careers, they believe in the group we have here and what our potential is, and what we want to achieve. They want it that bad."
 
The 37-year-old Spezza and 41-year-old Thornton – Toronto's two oldest players – skated with centre Alex Kerfoot on Saturday night as Sheldon Keefe opted for a more balanced approach. 

"I've really liked that line, in particular," the coach said. "The way that Joe and Spezz are communicating and talking and how they want to succeed together ... two guys that I'm sure have a great admiration for each other [and] to have them playing together, you can see the excitement around it." 

The line, which has remained together at practice this week, certainly pulled its weight on Saturday against the Calgary Flames delivering the game-winning goal courtesy of another vintage Spezza snipe. 

"Even though it was a bit of a sharp angle, I felt like my stick was in the right spot and had a good look at the net," Spezza said post-game, "so just shot for the spot and hit it and sometimes they go in. Just the angle my stick was on I felt like I had a good look at the net."

Spezza turned a low-percentage shot into his 958th career point in the National Hockey League. It was another example of how his hockey IQ is helping the Leafs.  

"If you just pull him aside and ask him how he's doing or ask him an opinion on different things, he's going to have some perspective there," said Keefe. "Jumbo is very much the same in that regard."

Spezza (1,154) and Thornton (1,656) have combined to play in 2,810 regular season games. 

"He knows so much," said Zach Hyman of Spezza. "He enjoys watching hockey all the time. He's always watching other teams and trying to pick up things from what other teams are doing. That's what a lot of coaches do."

 

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After the main practice wrapped on Wednesday, Spezza called the second power-play unit, which also features Hyman, Tavares, William Nylander and T.J. Brodie, over to the side boards where he mapped out a play with his finger on the glass. 

"We were running over some power-play tips," Hyman revealed. "He's been on the power play for his whole career and has a ton of experience so he's got a ton of different plays and tricks. He had a look he wanted to try so we went out there and tried it."

Brodie passed the puck to Spezza at the flank. Spezza faked a shot and sent the puck down low to Hyman who quickly moved it to Nylander who was also behind the net, but on the other side of the ice. Nylander then passed the puck to Tavares in the slot for a one timer. 

Keefe noted that assistant coach Manny Malhotra, who oversees the power play, has empowered both Spezza and Thornton to take charge of their units and make sure everyone is on the same page. 

"There's things that we are talking about as a group that we didn't quite get to at the practice so you see them wanting to make sure they got it before they left the ice so that's really good to see," Keefe noted. "Those are the kind of things that are important for a team and why you want to have those guys with that type of experience and confidence with themselves to take charge." 

Toronto’s power play is 1-for-17 over the last eight games. 

 

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After being unavailable to dress for Saturday's game, Frederik Andersen missed a third straight practice as he continues to rehab a lower-body injury. 

"There's no timeline attached to it other than I've been told not to expect him [for] seven days or a week or so," Keefe said. "In my mind, and with the medical team, it's a day-to-day situation that they're monitoring and it's already starting to approach toward seven days. He's continuing to work through it."

Jack Campbell, who just returned from a leg injury, will start on Thursday in Ottawa. Campbell originally sustained the injury on Jan. 24 in Calgary. He returned on Feb. 27 in Edmonton, but aggravated the issue and missed the next three weeks. 

"Soupy responded very well, it seems, since playing the other night," said Keefe. "That was a big test, because it didn't go that way for him last time. That's really positive and something we have to continue to be smart about. He's going to have an opportunity to play more now and we have to make sure we manage that well and not put him in positions where he may re-injure himself. As much as we can, we want to be smart with it."

Campbell was held off the ice on Monday and split reps with third goalie Ian Scott at Wednesday's practice. At one point, Campbell was spotted flexing his leg, but the 29-year-old insists he's fine physically. 

"I feel really good," he said. "After the game it was definitely a relief to feel really good with my body. The training staff's done a great job with me every day and the coaches. I'm thankful for [them] getting me the time off here and there and with the schedule we're able to do that, but I am feeling really good and excited to get back out there whenever my number's called." 

Campbell has won all four of his starts, including Toronto's lone win in Ottawa this year on the first weekend of the season. 

 

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Teammates have raved about how Campbell has handled adversity. Twice he hurt his leg and twice he posted a shutout in his first game back. And even in the heat of battle, Campbell's positive demeanour is shining through as defenceman Justin Holl discovered on Saturday night. 

"It was an exchange behind the net and I had called for the puck, but I wanted it a little harder and it was kind of just a miscommunication," Holl recalled. "I went up to him afterwards and I was like, 'My bad,' and he winked at me and said, 'My bad,' back. I saw the replay and it was really funny. It was legendary, actually. I loved it."

It surprised even Campbell. 

"I literally didn't know I winked until I got home and saw something online," he said with a smile. "I couldn't believe I winked, but it was pretty funny. I'm glad people can take it lightly. We always have a good time going to battle together.

Campbell was baffled by the blink, because it's not something he does off the ice. 

"I had no idea I even had the ability to wink, but you learn something new every day," he said with a laugh. "I've seen the Patrick Roy one [from the 1993 Stanley Cup Final] and some of those iconic ones. I think those ones were more, you know, they meant to do it."

"He's just so relaxed," said Holl, "and he's having fun out there and I think everyone knows when you're having fun that's when you're playing your best. It's fun to see and we're trying to play as well as we can in front of him."

Andersen is also a well-liked teammate, but there's no denying that Campbell brings a different kind of energy to the ice. He's constantly using his stick to tap teammates whenever he covers the puck for a whistle. ​

"He's a fun guy to play in front of and it's obvious to see with the love taps he gives the boys after every stopped play or how vocal he is in the room with everyone," noted defenceman Travis Dermott. "It's awesome to see. Goalies are usually quiet and stay to themselves so it's a little different feel."

"He's been a blast to be around," said Tavares. "It's amazing the confidence he gives, especially us as forwards, [with] the way he's seeing shots and just making guys feel good about themselves."

 

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Pierre Engvall failed to make the Leafs roster out of training camp despite playing in four of the five playoff games in the bubble. He only played in four of the team's first 13 games this season. 

"It would be easy for us to just put him in the lineup to start," Keefe acknowledged. "We knew we had a small window of time before he was not going to be eligible to go down to the taxi squad or Marlies. I thought it was an opportunity for us to make it really clear to him what the expectations and the standards are. We also knew, at the same time that we were going through that, there would be a time when he would get his opportunity."

Engvall has been a mainstay in the lineup since Feb. 10 and the 6-foot-5, 214-pound Swede now requires waivers to be sent down. 

"Pierre shows the ability to play and make an impact on the game with his size, his skill level and his speed," Keefe said. "But there are a lot of other areas to his game — a lot of details to his game — that we want to see improve, his physicality in particular. I just feel he leaves that piece on the table at times. There is more to give there. I think we are still working through that." 

Engvall ranks fourth among current Leafs forwards in hits per 60 minutes (4.49).

"We feel we are a better team when he is in the lineup, but we had to try to make him understand that there is more to the game that he can bring," Keefe said. "At times, he has done it well. At times, it still isn't where we would like it to be or where it could be in terms of how he can physically dominate a game if he chooses to."

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Lines at Wednesday's practice: 
 
Simmonds - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander
Mikheyev - Engvall - Hyman
Thornton - Kerfoot - Spezza 
Sabourin, Barabanov
 
Rielly - Brodie 
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogosian 
Rubins, Hollowell
 
Campbell
Hutchinson
Scott