Rielly looks to keep rolling as Leafs host Hall of Fame Game
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The Maple Leafs (optional) and Detroit Red Wings skated at Scotiabank Arena on Friday.
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Morgan Rielly laughed when asked if he has any memories of playing against former Detroit Red Wings great Pavel Datsyuk.
"The only memory that jumps out is [former coach] Randy Carlyle aggressively trying to keep me off the ice when he was on the ice in my first season," the Leafs defenceman recalled. "And I was fine with it. It was a little demoralizing, though."
Datsyuk is going into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday and will be honoured, alongside the rest of the class of 2024, prior to Friday's game between the Leafs and Wings. The Russian legend, known as the Magic Man during his playing days, will see a much different Rielly on the ice than the one he faced in the latter stages of his distinguished NHL career.
Rielly is now averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time a night and earning praise from current Leafs coach Craig Berube for his responsible play.
"More than anything, [he's] making good decisions with the puck," Berube said of Rielly's recent play. "And doing a good job in our own zone, D-zone, checking well and being hard at our net. He's just taking the risk out of his game with the puck and making real good decisions with it."
"He's been great," said fourth-line winger Steven Lorentz. "Jumping up in the rush offensively, he does his part, but playing in his own end, getting sticks on pucks, breaking up plays. He's just a real solid defender."
Rielly is rolling right now with seven points in the past seven games. He picked up three points during Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Boston Bruins, including a power-play goal. It's the first time a Leafs defenceman has picked up a point on the power play this season.
"It gives you confidence," said Rielly, who rejoined the top unit with Auston Matthews sidelined by an upper-body injury.
Matthews will remain out through this weekend.
The Leafs scored three goals on the power play on Tuesday with Rielly assisting on the other two. Toronto has converted on four of nine chances in the last two games.
"It was about time to [start] scoring on the power play," said defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who got a look on the top unit earlier in the year. "Obviously been struggling a little bit and trying to look for something that might not be there."
The Leafs started the season by going 3-for-38 in their first 12 games.
At even strength, Ekman-Larsson and Rielly have formed an effective pair in the past six games.
"We read off each other very good," said Ekman-Larsson. "It seems like we’ve been building our game up a little bit together and reading off each other and when to stay back and when to go. He’s making my job a lot easier."
"It was easy chemistry," Rielly said. "He’s an extremely talented player and he’s played for a long time. He’s got that experience as well, so he’s an easy guy to jump in there with. He’s a great puck mover, great skater. He’s tough defensively. Our goal is to continue to work together and just build our game."
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The Leafs placed Matthews on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 3, which means he will also miss Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens. The star centre did not skate on Friday, but is making progress.
"We're going in the right direction," Berube assured reporters. "It's good news."
By putting Matthews on IR, the Leafs opened a roster spot, which allowed them to activate forward Connor Dewar, who had been in the American Hockey League on a conditioning loan.
The Leafs have won their past five games with Matthews out of the lineup, including two in the playoffs. Toronto's record without the star centre is 36-19-2.
"Makes me feel a bit better because I know the record when I'm out is pretty good too," Rielly said with a smile. "I think it's just a matter of guys trying to take on more responsibility. You realize that you're at a loss without him and guys have to step up and pull more weight."
Does the absence of Matthews impact the opposition's psyche?
"There's probably a little more mental comfort not seeing him because it's a guaranteed tough night," said Wings coach Derek Lalonde. "But it's probably more a credit to their group and just everyone doing a little more and maybe a little more urgency to their game, more than the opposition letting up."
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Mike Babcock, who coached both the Wings and Leafs, once compared Mitch Marner to Datsyuk.
"He's like Datsyuk was," Babcock said in March 2019. "He's faster with the puck than without it. He's an elite defensive player. He can check it back as good as anybody."
Berube also highlighted Datsyuk's checking ability on Friday and agrees with the comparison to Marner, who leads all NHL forwards in takeaways this season.
"Mitch has a lot of the same things," Berube said. "Mitch is a real good 200-foot player too, kills penalties, anticipates well, has a great stick, all the same qualities that Datsyuk had."
In the Red Wings room, it was Matthews who was brought up as a Datsyuk doppelganger.
"There's not really anyone like him," noted winger Patrick Kane. "I guess I could see Auston's game a little bit in his. Maybe Auston's more of a shooter but, as far as playing both ends of the ice and being able to strip guys of the puck and turn it into offence, that's where they're pretty similar."
Datsyuk won the Selke Trophy three times during his career. Matthews was nominated for the trophy, which is given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game, last season. Marner was nominated for the award for his play in the 2022-23 season.
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Wings defenceman Ben Chiarot had a special guest with him this morning: Beckette Weber, who is the 10-year-old son of Hall-of-Fame inductee Shea Weber.
"Just happy I get to bring his son around with me in the room so he can experience this, because of all the fun me and his dad had together," said Chiarot, who played with Weber in Montreal. "He's a miniature version right now. He's well on his way to being a clone of his dad, I guarantee it."
What made Weber a special player?
"Oh man," Chiarot said. "A shot that scared the living daylights out of the whole league. Bodychecks shook the whole building. He was dominant. Dominant defenceman. So strong. Incredible leader ... just the most obvious captain I played with. Everyone knew he was the leader. The team went as he went."
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Wings goalie Alex Lyon tweaked something and is out with a lower-body injury, Lalonde said. He's listed as day-to-day.
Cam Talbot starts for Detroit on Friday. Ville Husso, who was called up from the AHL, will be in net on Saturday.
Anthony Stolarz, who shutout the Wings in the pre-season, starts for the Leafs on Friday.
Ex-Leaf Justin Holl draws in on defence for the Red Wings. Jeff Petry is the odd man out.
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Projected Leafs lineup for Friday's game:
Knies - Domi - Marner
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Holmberg - Robertson
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves
Rielly - Ekman-Larsson
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Timmins
Stolarz starts
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