The Leafs season opener gave us plenty to talk about. It’s only one game, but there were some encouraging signs, some growing pains from the new additions and a tough NHL debut for Gavin McKenna.
1. The New Top Line Looked Sharp
I really liked what I saw from the Leafs’ new top line of Kirill Marchenko, Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic. Bringing in some new faces seemed to give the top line a different look. Even though they didn’t find the back of the net as a line, they looked sharp, created some high-end chances and generated pressure throughout the game.
Marchenko was basically thrown right into the lineup after being acquired just before the opener, so I wasn’t expecting everything to click right away. But for a line with two new players alongside Matthews, I thought the early signs were pretty encouraging.
Roslovic seemed to fit nicely alongside Matthews as well. One thing I wasn’t a huge fan of, though, was seeing Roslovic taking draws instead of Matthews.
I understand the thought process. Let Roslovic take the faceoff and give Matthews a chance to get into a scoring position right off the draw. But to me, winning the faceoff is the bigger deal. Matthews is someone I want taking those important draws, especially in the offensive zone. That’s something I’ll be watching moving forward.
Overall, though, I liked the line. If Marchenko, Matthews and Roslovic can keep buzzing and creating chances like they did in Game 1, I really feel the goals will come. Getting closer to what we use to see from the top line when it was Marner and Matthews.
2. Give the New Guys Some Time
There are a lot of new pieces on this Leafs roster, and not everything is going to click immediately. 10 new players won’t just fit like a glove right away.
Guys like Darren Raddysh and Marchenko looked pretty good at five-on-five, but you could see some growing pains when it came to the power play. At times, they looked a little lost trying to figure out where they needed to be and how everything fits together.
After one game, that’s not a huge concern. New players are learning a new system, new teammates and new roles. But it is something to keep an eye on over the next few games, especially if they continue getting power-play opportunities.
On a side note, I thought Nick Paul and Colton Sissons had nice games.
You could see why the Leafs brought those guys in. They were strong on the penalty kill, used their size and gave Toronto some of that heavier hockey they were looking to add.
They might not be the names getting all the attention, but those are the types of players who could become very important for this team over an 84-game season.
3. Gavin McKenna Let’s Not Panic
Okay, let’s be honest. The super rookie did not have a good first game. At times, Gavin McKenna looked a little shell-shocked dealing with NHL size, speed and hockey IQ. There is absolutely no doubt the skill is there, but his rookie side really showed in his first taste of NHL action. There were moments where things seemed to be happening a little too quickly around him, and that’s going to happen.
Moving forward, I’d like to see McKenna and Easton Cowan switched in the lineup. Give Cowan a chance higher up and put McKenna in a spot where there might be a little less pressure while he adjusts to the NHL game.
But let’s not panic. McKenna is a rookie, and playing in the NHL is extremely hard. It’s just another level compared to the CHL or NCAA. The players are bigger, faster and smarter, and mistakes that you could get away with before get exposed very quickly. Give the kid some time before everyone starts freaking out.
One game tells us almost nothing about what kind of NHL player McKenna is going to become. Let him adjust, let him learn and then see where he is after he’s had some actual NHL games under his belt.
Final Thoughts
It’s one game. Let’s not lose our minds. I saw some good things. Sergei Bobrovskyplayed pretty well, the top guys made plays and William Nylander looks like he could be set up for another strong year. The new-look top line created chances, some of the new depth pieces showed why Toronto brought them in, and there are obviously still some things that need to be cleaned up.
And let’s give Montreal some credit. The Canadiens are a good hockey team. They had their chances as well, and Toronto just fell short.
There are going to be growing pains with this many new faces, and one game isn’t enough to decide whether something works or doesn’t.
Now we see how they respond Wednesday night against the Islanders on the second half of a back-to-back.
