'Free mindset' key for Cowan to take advantage of chance beside Marner

The Maple Leafs skated (game group) and practised (non-playing group) at Ford Performance Centre on Thursday. 

---

After a quiet start to training camp, Easton Cowan is getting a big chance to jumpstart his bid to crack the Leafs lineup. The 19-year-old winger is expected to start Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens on Toronto's top line beside Max Domi and Mitch Marner. 

"Really good playmakers," Cowan said. "If I find open space and have my stick on the ice, they're probably going to find me. I'll try my best just to get open and cause some stuff around the net."

Cowan didn't skate with the NHL regulars at Wednesday's practice, but the plan was always to give him a look in this game. 

"We want to see him," said head coach Craig Berube. "I want to see him in the lineup tonight [with] some good players. He's probably put a lot of pressure on himself here coming into camp. He needs to just go out and play his game tonight."

When training camp ends, Cowan will either earn a look with the Leafs or be sent back to the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Both Domi and Marner also played for the Knights. 

Cowan was named the OHL's most outstanding player last season before earning MVP honours in the playoffs. He was the first player to do that since Marner. 

"I've been talking to him a lot," Cowan said. "He's one of my favourite players, so to get to play with him tonight will be really cool."

Marner spoke glowingly of Cowan after Wednesday's workout. 

"He's got his confidence," Marner observed. "He's talking a lot. He's being vocal around the locker room, which is great. That's what you want out of these guys. It's been a lot of fun to watch him. It's been fun to see him just grow since last year."

Cowan came out of the gates strong at last year's training camp, but has yet to hit the scoresheet through two pre-season games this year. Berube has stressed puck management and Cowan admits he's been too worried about making mistakes. 

"I feel like I've been playing simple, you know, in my D-Zone," he said. "I haven't given up too much, but I'm really looking to be more offensive here tonight and play a bit more free, just play my game, and just have a bit more of a free mindset out there."

Cowan's energetic style and tireless work ethic led to 94 points in 54 games last season.  

"Just keep moving my feet," Cowan said of the required approach on Thursday. "When I'm moving my feet, I'm at my best. So, I'm just going to try to cause some turnovers tonight and hopefully capitalize on them."

---

Most of Toronto's NHL regulars will dress on Thursday night, including William Nylander. The smooth-skating Swede, who is getting a look at centre during this camp, scored an extra-attacker goal in his pre-season opener on Sunday, but also finished minus-one against the Ottawa Senators.

"He's been better and better in my opinion," said Berube. "I watch him practise situational stuff and coming in our zone. It's all about him moving his feet without the puck. Defensively, we want everybody moving their feet without the puck ... It's still early."

Nylander will start Thursday's game on a line with Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. 

Robertson believes the move to the middle could make Nylander even more dangerous. 

"Maybe gets him even more speed because he's lower," Robertson pointed out. "He can get the puck first as the F1 [first guy back] in the D-zone. With the puck on his stick, he's dangerous, so maybe being the F1 spot as centre, he gets the puck on his stick a little more."

--- 

Max Pacioretty is expecting less nerves tonight as the former Canadiens captain suits up against his old team in his second pre-season game with the Leafs. 

"I feel a little bit more confident with where I'm at right now," the 35-year-old winger said. "We're in the guts of camp, so I feel better about my legs and my touches, and hopefully I can have a good game."

Pacioretty, who is at camp on a professional tryout, scored twice and added an assist in his Leafs debut on Sunday against the Senators. 

"I had a lot of opportunities to hang on to pucks last game, especially down low in the offensive zone, where I wasn't able to or kind of forced the play," Pacioretty said. "That's my bread and butter is holding on to pucks in the offensive zone and wearing down D-men and that's an area I definitely want to improve on."

Pacioretty will once again line up beside John Tavares on Toronto's third line. He says playing with Tavares reminds him of former Vegas Golden Knights teammates Mark Stone and former Carolina Hurricanes teammate Sebastian Aho. 

"It's kind of like that old-school mentality that isn't really around the league as much as it was when I was playing at my best," Pacioretty said. "More give-and-go hockey, moving it quickly. He's just always in the right place at the right time. It's so obvious. Sometimes, with guys like that, you understand why they're so good, but when you play with them, you understand on a whole new level. Really my first shift with him, you realize, 'Wow, this guy's always in the right spots.'"

Pontus Holmberg will slot in on the right side of that group. 

Pacioretty is switching sides in the Leafs-Canadiens rivalry, but doesn't feel weird wearing the blue and white. 

"My kids say it's the best jersey that I've worn," the father of five said with a smile, "how it looks on me in terms of maybe just how it fits me. But, no, it's such an honour to wear both the jerseys, two Original Six teams, and obviously the history of both the teams. That side of it definitely doesn't feel weird at all. I'm proud of it."

---

Auston Matthews skated on his own and then joined the optional skate on Thursday. It was the centre's first skate with teammates since leaving Tuesday's practice with an upper-body issue. 

"It's great he was out there today," said Berube. "I know it wasn't a long morning skate. It was an optional skate for the guys that are playing tonight, but he's doing well. Great to see him out there."

Matthews will not play on Thursday, but has not been ruled out of Saturday's game in Montreal. 

"I'm not going to jump to conclusions yet," Berube said. "We'll wait and see what happens."

The Leafs have two more pre-season games next week. 

"We don't want lingering injuries and things like that going on," Berube said. "We've got to make sure that we're smart. It's been hard. It's been a tough camp. So, when they need to take a break because of something going on, then we let them."

Matthews, who only missed one game last season, was all smiles when he walked by the media on Thursday even cracking a joke.

---

Veteran winger Calle Jarnkrok (lower body) skated on his own on Thursday morning. 

Defenceman Jani Hakanpää (knee) and Connor Dewar (shoulder) skated in red no-contact sweaters on Thursday. 

---

Projected Leafs lineup for Thursday's game: 

Cowan - Domi - Marner 
McMann - Nylander - Robertson 
Pacioretty - Tavares - Holmberg 
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves 

Rielly - Tanev 
Ekman-Larsson - McCabe 
Benoit - Liljegren 

Stolarz 
Murray