Conor Timmins' Strong Offensive Output and More Observations From Maple Leafs Pre-Season Win Over Sabres
John Klingberg left the game partway through the first period and didn't return.
The Maple Leafs got their first pre-season win on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres in St. Thomas, Ontario. A number of the Maple Leafs' main players had the night off, but there were still a number of strong showings.
Having players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander out allowed for some others to get more opportunities. And some took this occasion to make it a bit more difficult on Toronto's staff.
Nick Robertson's partial new look
Some fans might notice something different about how the 22-year-old is skating this season. That's because he worked on
"I'm working a lot with skating coaches, too, just helping with my posture in corners and stuff," Robertson said earlier this week.
Robertson was on a line with Matthew Knies and John Tavares on Wednesday night, providing a lot of speed on the wing. He had a number of chances, too, but couldn't find the back of the net.
I wonder, with Robertson playing on the right wing on Wednesday, could he begin the year on his off side? With William Nylander getting some time at center, it's always possible.
Noah Gregor's speed
Although he's still on a PTO, Gregor has impressed me throughout the two games he's appeared in for Toronto. His speed is obviously the significant factor, but how he uses it is pretty imposing.
Having him on the Maple Leafs' fourth line will bring a major speed element to whichever trio head coach Sheldon Keefe begins the season with.
Gregor is able to create chances out of almost nothing, using his fast legs to blow by defenders. And he can, too, do it while going east to west, which I think makes him such an effective player. One that should earn a contract from the Maple Leafs.
Tough decisions getting a little tougher
Toronto's staff wanted players to make lineup decisions more difficult when opening night comes in October. And that's what they're doing.
Conor Timmins and Sam Lafferty each found the back of the net on Wednesday in St. Thomas. Both players have a cap hit of just over $1 million, meaning one of them could likely be sent down for Toronto to be cap-compliant on opening night.
Timmins has had a great showing in the pre-season so far. In two games, the 25-year-old has six points and was the best player on the ice on Wednesday in St. Thomas.
Add that to the impressive camp that Gregor is having and the decisions become more difficult. And that's a good thing for the Maple Leafs.
- Timothy Liljegren was wearing an 'A' on his chest in St. Thomas. With a few years under his belt in the NHL, the 24-year-old is looking to take another step. In two pre-season games, he's looked very strong on Toronto's back end.
- Alex Steeves is showing more dimensions to his game. The 23-year-old was known as a shooter when Toronto signed him, but he's added a physical element to his game over the last six months which should help him at both the AHL and NHL level.
- Matthew Knies continues to showcase his strength and skill as we go deeper into the pre-season. He made a nice move to get by a defender and then set up a pick for Lafferty to score. A smart move by the 20-year-old NHL rookie.
- Max Domi found the back of the net in St. Thomas coming out of the penalty box. He used his speed and patience to keep the space between him and Owen Power. Another nice pass from Timmins which sets up this goal from Domi.
- Easton Cowan continues to have a strong showing in the pre-season. During the third period, he danced around a few Sabres players before getting a scoring chance of his own.
- Martin Jones played a full 60 minutes, allowing only two goals on 41 shots. He was fairly busy in this game but looked good positionally and came up with a number of big saves for Toronto.
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