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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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The Maple Leafs held an optional skate on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena. 

With just over six minutes to go in the third period on Friday night, the Florida Panthers pressed for an insurance goal in Detroit. They had the Wings hemmed in their zone, but struggled to get the puck on net. Adam Erne and Robby Fabbri took turns diving in front of shots while goalie Alex Nedeljkovic slammed the door when the puck did sneak through. The frantic 48-second sequence had the crowd inside Little Caesars Arena roaring. 

The Leafs' coaching staff showed players that video this morning as part of the pre-scout for tonight's game. 

"Just a really quick snapshot of the mindset that Detroit has in terms of how they're playing, with a ton of urgency, and competing at a high level early in the season," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "They're not going to make it easy."

"They play hard," observed winger Ondrej Kase. "They play kind of like playoffs."

A few minutes after the block party, the Wings tied the game. They have now rallied from 2-0 deficits in consecutive games against Washington and Florida. 

"It's a very tight team," noted defenceman Rasmus Sandin. "They do everything to not let in goals. They're battling very hard for one another and we need to do the same tonight."

The Wings finished 27th overall last season, but are off to a surprising 4-2-2 start this year. 

"There is going to be no surprise for us," said Keefe. "We watched closely and they're full marks for the results they've had to date. They're in every game. They're carrying play in a lot of games. They're getting their share of scoring chances. They're a committed group that's playing hard."

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Toronto's leader in blocked shots, Justin Holl, will be a healthy scratch tonight as all three defence pairs get a new look.

"Just try to keep the play in front of them," said Keefe when asked what he wants to see from his six-pack of defencemen. "That's a big piece. We just have far too many guys getting in behind us. This team is going to challenge us in that area. They come with a lot of speed with their forward group, a lot of pucks that are thrown in behind, and they'll look to chase them down. We'll be put to the test in that area tonight."

With Holl out, T.J. Brodie moves to the shutdown pair opposite Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott moves up to play with Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren draws in on the third pair with Sandin.

"Make some quicker decisions," said Sandin of the necessary adjustment, "moving the puck up quick."

Holl played consistently in the top four for the last two years and was protected by the team in the Seattle expansion draft, but has stumbled out of the gate this season. Keefe considered demoting Holl to the third pair, but felt the 29-year-old would benefit from a break.  

"We just thought, let's shock the system here a little bit and get him some time," Keefe explained. "Whether it's a one-game thing or we stick with it, I haven't made any guarantees to Hollsy about whether he's going to go right back in our not. We'll watch and if this turns into a healthy competition on our back end that's good for everybody...We're expecting better from our group as a whole."

The Leafs are allowing 3.13 goals per game, which is tied for 20th overall entering Saturday's games. And while the defence group needs to be better, this is very much a team-wide issue.

"Our forwards have got to help the cause," Keefe stressed. "When we look at a lot of the improvements we made last season defensively, our D for sure played a great role, but our forwards contributed greatly. Any team that defends well does it in groups of five."

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Detroit will be without leading scorer Tyler Bertuzzi, who is unvaccinated, so the Leafs will be zeroing in on Lucas Raymond.

"A ton of skill," observed Keefe. "A ton of confidence. A guy I saw down in Traverse City [at the rookie tournament]. Off to a great start. Dangerous scorer. Great skill-set. They got some really good young forwards that can skate and make plays and score and he's, certainly, at the top of the list." 

The 19-year-old Swede leads all rookies with eight points this season. In the lead-up to the 2020 draft, Raymond said he modelled his game, in part, after Toronto's Mitch Marner. 

"Absolutely, they have some similarities on the ice," said Sandin, who played with Raymond at the World Juniors. "They're both very skilled. They see the ice very well and they move very well out there. They read the game well and play very quick with their minds and the puck."

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For the first time since he made his NHL debut on Oct. 2, 2019, Sandin will play in front of his father. 

"I just met him quick last night," Sandin said. "It's great to have family here and them being able to come over to Toronto again...They were going to come over [later in the 2019-20 season] and then COVID hit."

Patric Sandin works in marketing and sales for Almtuna IS, a Swedish team playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. What's it like for him to watch his son? 

"He's probably more nervous than me," Rasmus said with a smile. "He's a big hockey guy. He stays up very late at night and watches pretty much every game. He's passionate about hockey so he's very excited to be here." 

Patric just swung through Pennsylvania where his other son, Linus Sandin, plays for Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the American Hockey League. 

Does Rasmus get any hockey advice from his father? 

"No," the 21-year-old said with a laugh. "I'm telling him to not give me advice. He doesn't know too much about hockey, I feel like. He should just be quiet...He's more of a fan." 

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The Leafs' power play has failed to convert on 17 straight chances over the last six games. However, the top unit appeared much more in sync during Wednesday's game in Chicago. 

"It's the most dangerous it's looked, consistently, with each of the power plays," said Keefe. "We had good looks on each of them. There's still things we can do a lot better with our execution and all that, but the first day for that look was a positive one."

Ahead of the game in Chicago, the team moved Marner from the bumper back to the right half wall, William Nylander shifted to the middle and Auston Matthews flipped to the left flank. 

"It gets the puck in Mitch's hands a lot more," noted Keefe. "It also gets Auston on the other side of the ice, which is another change. So, getting those guys moving downhill towards the net encourages more activity around the crease. We have to find ways, within that, to make sure we're utilizing John [Tavares] and Will as well."

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Petr Mrazek gets the start tonight. The 29-year-old has been out since sustaining a groin injury on Oct. 14 in Ottawa.  

"It was tough for him, the first game he got hurt, so he can't wait to play," Kase said.  

The injury has prevented Mrazek from making a big impact on the ice so far, but the veteran goalie is helping make his Czech mates, Kase and David Kampf, feel comfortable off the ice.

"He's a very funny guy," said Kase. "He makes really good jokes in the locker room, especially for us Czech guys. He's the oldest guy [among the three Czechs] and he takes care of us. If I need something, I'm looking for a car or dinner or something, [he helps]. He was in the show a long time. We know all the Czech guys in the show, because we don't have too many guys here so we all know each other."

There have been 26 players from the Czech Republic, who have suited up in the NHL so far this season. 

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Projected Leafs lines for tonight's game: 

Bunting - Matthews - Nylander
Kerfoot - Tavares - Marner
Engvall - Kampf - Kase 
Ritchie - Spezza - Simmonds 

Rielly - Dermott 
Muzzin - Brodie 
Sandin - Liljegren

Mrazek starts 
Campbell