Leafs want Domi taking more shots as he moves to the middle
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The Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
With John Tavares out, Max Domi moved to the centre position for Toronto's game on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He responded with a two-assist performance, which caught the eye of his coach.
"He moves a lot better in the middle," Craig Berube observed. "He's a very good playmaker, so when he gets open ice and gets some speed going, he can really skate. He's dangerous. He can make plays."
Tavares is set to return on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, but Domi will continue to skate as a centre.
"I don't mind whether it's left wing, centre, right," Domi downplayed, "equally comfortable with all three of them."
When Auston Matthews got hurt in the playoffs, it was Domi who slid over to centre for two games against the Boston Bruins. The Leafs won both games.
Domi finished last season strong, with a team-high 13 assists over the final 20 regular-season games.
Domi leads the Leafs in scoring with three points, all assists, this season. But he's only landed one shot on net.
"He should shoot more," Berube directed. "He had a couple opportunities, and he passed up on some shots. We're trying to get him to shoot a little bit more."
Easier said than done for a guy, who loves dishing the puck. Berube suggested Domi start "over shooting" during drills in practice.
"It's a habit and habits take time to break," the coach said. "It's just about constant reminders."
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After missing practice on Tuesday, winger William Nylander (illness) is a game-time decision.
"I think there's improvement," Berube said. "Hopefully he's better later and able to play."
Tavares told TSN he lost eight pounds while battling his illness. He's gained most of it back, but still isn't feeling 100 per cent.
"I'd still like a couple more," he said.
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Tavares is expected to skate on a line with Pontus Holmberg and Nick Robertson. It's a big game for Robertson who is a native of Pasadena, Calif.
"The Kings are my hometown team," the 23-year-old said. "It's like a Toronto kid with the Leafs. It's more being in L.A. that I really get excited [for] because of family, but I'm still excited. Any game, honestly."
You can understand the sentiment. This is the first time Robertson, who was a second-round pick in 2019, has started a season in the NHL. Saturday marked his first home opener with the Leafs.
"It was awesome," Robertson said. "It was electrifying. Going out there with the fans, it was awesome."
After scoring five goals in his final three pre-season games, Robertson has yet to hit the scoresheet in three regular season games.
"I'm happy with my game," he said. "Obviously, that will come in due time. I'm focused on sticking to his system, sticking to playing hard and the process of producing. I'm just happy with my effort."
"For the amount of talent he has, he's a guy you could see scoring 30 goals every year," said Domi. "You watch him in practice and, other than maybe Auston and Willy, he's right behind them in terms of he doesn't miss."
Domi also highlighted Robertson's tenacious work ethic and noted that he sees improvement on the defensive side of the puck.
Robertson also leads the Leafs with three drawn penalties.
"I'm trying to get to the net like he wants us to," Robertson said of Berube. "Obviously, a few of them were driving the net. His style of play, how he wants us to play, is getting to the net playing hard and I think I'll draw penalties naturally like that."
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Top-line winger Matthew Knies, 21, scored his first goal of the season on Saturday and looks set to take a big step forward in his sophomore season. What does Matthews notice?
"Just his confidence," the Leafs captain said. "His confidence with the puck, his strength, everything, I mean, you just push it up a level and that’s all you can ask for. He's still young. He's still got so much room to get better. I mean, he's got such a high ceiling, and he puts in the work every day. It's been great to see the way he’s been playing so far and just the confidence he has on the ice. It’s great."
Knies logged a career-high 21 minutes and six seconds against the Penguins. The 6-foot-3 Arizona native arrived at camp at 227 pounds, 10 more than last year, and is showing off that newfound strength.
"He's obviously a beast," winger Mitch Marner said. "He's a big fella."
Knies started the season with Matthews and Marner and is determined to earn his keep beside the dynamic duo. So far, so good.
"A lot of times that we want the puck in our hands to try to make plays," Marner said. "And he's done an unreal job of just being around that net being down low, winning his one-on-one battles, getting pucks back for us and, getting right back to the net."
Knies is also contributing on the power play and penalty kill.
"He has been very structured," Berube said. "The strength of him and the skating, he is high-ceiling, for me."
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London, Ont. native Drew Doughty is missing his annual homecoming game, but the injured Kings defenceman is still making his presence felt.
"Drew loved to play in Toronto," said Kings coach Jim Hiller. "He'd bring everybody in from London. He's encouraging the guys and letting them know that 'You don't lose when you come into Toronto.'"
The Kings are coming off a wild 8-7 overtime loss in Ottawa on Monday, but both teams are expecting a much tighter affair on Wednesday.
"They're heavy," stressed Berube. "Big team. Strong down low in the offensive zone ... Any time you play the Kings, and this has been for years now, it's going to be a battle. We've got to win the battles. We've got to be strong. Strong at our net front. Puck battles are important tonight."
The Leafs have only allowed two goals at even strength through three games as the players embrace Berube's north-south system.
"We like to think we're probably playing a similar style as them," said Hiller. "You can see it, what they’re trying to do, and they don't give you a lot, doing a good job that way, so we'll have to work to get our chances."
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Right-shot defenceman Timothy Liljegren, 25, will make his regular-season debut after sitting as a healthy scratch in the first three games.
"He should be a good puck mover," Berube said. "And it's just about him managing his game and managing his puck movement and making good decisions with it. Not risky ones. Just simplify. And then you've got to win your battles, right? As a defenceman, it's important that you're defending well and you're stronger at your net front and you're winning those board battles and corner battles and things like that. He's got to do that."
Liljegren, a first-round pick in 2017, hasn't played since Toronto's penultimate preseason game on Oct. 3.
"He's a guy that's the same kind of way, always calm, cool and collected, and that's something you love to see out of him, Marner said. "I think he's taken this as great as you can. Obviously, every guy wants to be in the lineup as much as you can every single night. I think he's done a good job of just working extremely hard in the gym, on the ice, and just trying to get better and better for when he does get this opportunity. I'm excited to watch him tonight. He can make some awesome plays."
Liljegren is expected to start on the third pair beside Simon Benoit.
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Joseph Woll will miss a fourth straight game due to lower-body tightness, but was able to join his teammates at the optional skate.
"I haven't talked to the trainers yet, but it's good he's out there again today," Berube noted.
Anthony Stolarz will start again and look to build on Saturday's win.
"He's calm and cool in net," said Berube. "He's making the saves that he's supposed to and looks pretty comfortable in net and tracking pucks well. But we're doing a good job in front of him, too, which is good."
With Darcy Kuemper dealing with a minor injury, David Rittich will get the start for the Kings.
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Projected Leafs lineup:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Holmberg - Tavares - Robertson
McMann - Domi - Pacioretty
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves
Rielly - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren
Stolarz starts
Hildeby