Lorentz vows not to overcomplicate unexpected shot on top line
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Leafs winger Steven Lorentz is getting an unexpected promotion.
A staple on the fourth line most of the year, Lorentz will start beside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line on Tuesday night when Toronto hosts the Dallas Stars.
"Sometimes when you put a worker with two skilled players like that, just a guy that's going to be a meat-and-potatoes guy, go to the net, hound pucks, create loose puck battles for these guys, sometimes they need that," Leafs coach Craig Berube explained. "Just to try and help them a little bit and just try and create some energy on that line. That's why I did it."
Lorentz has just one goal in the past 30 games and admitted to being surprised when he initially saw the line assignment.
"I'm not trying go overcomplicate things," the 28-year-old from Kitchener, Ont. said. "I know I don't have the abilities that those guys do at their level, but I also bring something to the table that I think can work well with those two."
"Keep it simple," Berube instructed. "That's what I say to him. He doesn't need to change his game. He just needs to do what he does and Matthews and Marner, they'll do what they do."
It's been a quiet couple of games for Toronto's dynamic duo. Matthews and Marner were both minus-six during a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. The top line was on the ice for the Vancouver Canucks opening goal in Saturday's 3-0 loss.
Stars coach Peter DeBoer thinks the shake up is a smart move by Berube.
"I don't think it hurts the big players to get some of that, some of that directness in their game and physicality," DeBoer said. "We do that once in a while here too. A lot of times it sparks your big guys."
Lorentz noted that he got some shifts with Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho as an injury replacement during his two seasons with the Hurricanes (2020-22).
"They're just easy guys to play with," Lorentz recalled. "As good as they are, as world-class talent as they have, they're hard workers too. So, as long you're working hard and the three of you are at least somewhat on the same page, and your mindset is similar, then good things will happen."
Lorentz, who attended Toronto's training camp on a pro tryout before earning a contract, is living a dream by playing for the team he grew up cheering for. His passion for the Leafs was sparked by watching games with his dad.
What does his dad think about his son's new linemates?
"I just sent him a text after practice and got, 'Wowza,' back," Lorentz said with a smile.
"Going back to training camp, it's just been a blur. Honestly, it feels like it was a couple weeks ago and we're over halfway through the season. I'm just enjoying this. Every single time I get to pull the Leafs jersey over my head it's a privilege."
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The Leafs have won seven straight against the Stars dating back to March 15, 2022. It is Toronto's longest active winning streak against an opponent and Dallas' longest active winless streak.
"It's one of those times when a team just owns you and you just gotta try and break out of it," said Stars winger Jason Robertson. "Hopefully today's they day."
So, what has to change?
"Our Robertson has to outplay their Robertson for the first time," DeBoer said with a grin. "So, that message is going to be delivered clearly here to Jason for us. We got to start there. Obviously I'm joking."
There's truth behind every joke, though. Nick Robertson has faced his older brother five times in the NHL and the Leafs have won all five meetings. Nick has three goals and an assist in those games while Jason has just one assist.
Is Jason, who is two years older, sick of his brother having bragging rights?
"Bragging rights? I think it's like 8-0 for the Leafs," said Jason, 25. "Forget him, it's just in general. That definitely is motivating and we have another opportunity to try and change that tonight."
The Leafs (eight games) are one of three teams that Jason hasn't scored on. The New Jersey Devils (six games) and Utah Hockey Club (three games) are the others.
The California-born brothers had dinner together with their mom, Mercedes, on Monday night in Toronto. Nick, who had a goal and an assist in last month's win in Dallas, was careful not to stir the pot and did not bring up the previous results.
Jason is heating up of late with 22 points in the past 20 games since Dec. 1.
"He's getting going and it's good to see that," Nick said. "It's just tonight I need him to take a night off. But it's good to see him get back to who he is and what he can do."
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Tuesday's game is a welcome escape for the Robertson brothers, who have watched their hometown be ravaged by wildfires.
"I'm dealing with this [life in NHL] and then I look at my phone and there's fires and you wonder where your family's at," said Nick, who is a native of Pasadena, Calif. "I just hope it stops soon."
The family home, where one of their sisters still lives, was lucky to be spared from the inferno.
"Thankfully, the fire literally just went right around our house," Nick said. "Thank you to the firefighters there. It's not a very good situation, but thankfully my family is safe."
An older sister was forced to evacuate her place in Pasadena, Calif.
"It's going to be a long time before everything's back to normal," said Jason. "It's just devastating what's happened."
After dinner with his brother last night, Jason watched the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game that had to be relocated to Arizona.
"I thought that was pretty inspiring what they're doing," Jason said. "It's nice to have that escape. Right now, it's hard to think about."
The wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people and destroyed communities.
"It's a terrible situation," said Nick. "Just praying for it to end and for the families affected by it."
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Jake Oettinger has lost all three of his starts against the Leafs.
"I haven't won here yet, so I'm hoping to check that box tonight," the Stars goalie said.
Oettinger was pulled after allowing four goals on 12 shots last month in the game against Toronto.
"He's a proud guy," said DeBoer. "He's been playing really good hockey for us. You don't get a bigger stage than in Toronto here. I'm sure we'll see a big game out of him."
Leafs goalie Joseph Woll stopped 36 of 39 shots en route to being named the first star in Dallas. It was the first time he played against Oettinger.
"It was pretty cool," said Woll. "We've played together and played against each other at every level now. It was up to me to get there to play him in the NHL. It was cool it finally happened. I told him hopefully we got a lot of games to play against each over the years. It'll be pretty cool."
The pair sent a picture to their old goalie coach at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, Kevin Reiter, and thanked him for his help after the game last month. The former teammates and NCAA rivals will duel again on Tuesday.
"I think if you told both us when we were 14, it would be pretty cool," said Oettinger. "Just really happy for him and he deserves it. He's one of the best goalies in the league, in my opinion, and just scratching the surface of how good he is and is going to be. He is one of my favourite goalies to watch too."
Oettinger, who attended Boston University, will play his 225th NHL game on Tuesday and owns a .913 career save percentage. Woll, a product of Boston College, will play his 58th game and has a .912 save percentage.
"We play pretty similar," said Oettinger, who will represent Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-off next month. "A lot of things he does really well I'm trying to do."
Like what?
"Just his patience," Oettinger said. "He's so athletic, but he's not a foot outside the crease. He stays back and reads the play really well and nowadays, with how skilled the league is, guys are turning down great looks to make an extra pass so you got to be back a little bit just to read the play. When I started trying to do that more I watched a lot of him because he does that really well."
Oettinger also learned from Woll off the ice.
"He's like the perfect human," Oettinger gushed. "I really looked up to him a lot when I was at the Program. Hockey wasn't as serious for me as it was for him, and just how he takes care of his body and all the little stuff that he does is stuff I learned a lot from him."
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Woll and Oettinger had dinner together on Monday night. Who picked up the tab?
"He wanted to, but I snatched it from him," said Oettinger, who signed an eight-year, $66-million contract last year.
One of the topics that came up over dinner was Chris Tanev, who played for the Stars down the stretch last season before signing with the Leafs in the summer.
"Joe and I were actually saying how much we love playing behind him," Oettinger said. "He's one of my favourite defenceman I ever played behind. He's a goalie's dream."
Tanev is second in the NHL with 122 blocked shots.
"Joe and I were saying, like, you feel like a guy has a Grade A and then Tanny will come out of nowhere and dive and make a block," Oettinger recalled.
Tanev helped the Stars reach the Western Conference final.
"I loved the guy," DeBoer raved. "What I like is what you see is what you get every night. He never wavers. He knows what his game is and brings it to the rink every night. He played through some really significant injuries with us in the playoffs. Really compromised and you would never know it. Some days he could barely get his skates on and found a way to get out there and help us on a deep playoff run. Just a warrior."
"He's a guy you don't realize how good he is until you play with him," said Stars centre Matt Duchene. "His first pass out of the D-zone is as good as anybody … The way he played against top guys in the playoffs last year, it was incredible to watch. We would've loved to have him back. He and I were both going to free agency together and I was all over him to come back. It felt like his heart was going to be in Toronto through that process. His family's here, so it makes sense."
Tanev praised the Stars organization, but also made it clear he wants this game badly.
"You always want to beat the team that you played for," he said. "I mean, I had a great time there and first-class organization and great guys there, but I definitely want to beat them tonight."
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Projected Leafs lineup for Tuesday's game:
Lorentz - Matthews - Marner
Knies - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Domi - Robertson
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves
Pacioretty, Holmberg
Ekman-Larsson - Tanev
Rielly - Myers
Benoit - Timmins
Rifai - Hakanpää
Woll starts
Hildeby