TORONTO — From the moment new coach Craig Berube first sounded his whistle at training camp through an impressive and defensive 3-1-0 kick-off to the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ top and bottom forward lines have been firmly established.
It’s the middle six that has looked mushy and muddled.
Up for debate and up for grabs.
Lines 2 and 3 have frequently been in flux due to inconsistency, injury, illness, and the absence of a bona fide third-line centre in the system.
Well, Berube certainly seems to have stumbled upon a secondary scoring unit ready to attack after Auston Matthews‘ top line comes to the bench for a breath.
The trio of Max Domi, Bobby McMann, and William Nylander — a combination borne of a John Tavares sick day — has been a match meets lighter fluid since being slapped together as Plan B for Saturday’s home opener.
And they were buzzing early Wednesday in Toronto’s 6-2 cruise over the splendidly sweatered Los Angeles Kings, sparking the Leafs’ third regulation win in as many games.
“We got a lot of speed, creating a lot of chances,” Nylander said, following a multi-point night for every member of his new line. “I think we’re playing great and love the chemistry that we have.”
McMann, who is averaging a goal per game since getting scratched on Opening Night, believes the formula for success is simple.
“We’re just skating. We’re just hard on pucks, pushing their D back, trying to get first touch a lot,” McMann said. “And obviously I’m playing with two really good guys that were able to make plays, and fortunately a couple found the back of the net.”
As a recipient of the richest contract in club history, Nylander’s positive impact on his linemates should go without saying. He’s an elite puck carrier, a one-man zone entry who can dish and dart and snipe.
So, it’s the performance of McMann and the adaptability of Domi that is more interesting.
McMann has swiftly earned a promotion out of the press box and up from the fourth line to a power forward role alongside two of Toronto’s better-scoring chance creators.
“He just looks hungry out there, and he’s making plays, making good on his opportunities,” Matthews observes. “He works extremely hard.”
It’s telling of McMann’s character that he was able to shrug off last week’s scratch and a public challenge from his new coach, dismissing what could be a blow to the ego as part of the business.
“Just trusting that it’s part of the process,” McMann reasoned. “There’s a lot of good players on this team, and maybe some guys fit better in certain scenarios than others. And just knowing that my opportunity would come.”
Well, it’s here. With veteran Max Pacioretty now the odd man out and Calle Järnkrok still on LTIR, this is a prime window for journeyman McMann to take hold of a spot.
“Didn’t know a thing about him before I came here,” confessed goalie Anthony Stolarz, after another solid outing. “But just watching these games, he’s a great two-way player. He’s extremely physical and moves really well. Has a good shot. He’s a key player for us in our depth. I was really happy for him to get those two goals tonight. He works his butt off.”
Berube’s take: “He’s a power forward. That’s how he should think the game, night in and night out…. He doesn’t have to complicate the game. Just go in straight lines and bang bodies and score goals around the net.”
Berube has seen some improved work out of Domi, too, since he shifted the forward to centre.
“It’s an important spot,” Berube said. “He moves a lot better in the middle, I would say. He’s moving his feet. He’s a very good playmaker. So, when he gets open ice and gets some speed going, he can really skate. He’s dangerous, can make plays. In saying that, he should shoot more.”
Berube says Domi, who has only put two on net this season, needs “constant reminders” to fire the puck. And yet, if he’s serving pucks to Nylander and McMann, who can convert at a decent clip, maybe it’s not the worst idea to have a disher on the line.
“It’s a habit, right? Habits take time to break,” Berube said. “I think in practice it’s important that he’s probably overshooting at times. So, just trying to get out of those habits.”
Domi maintains that he is “equally comfortable” at centre or wing. Now in his 10th season and on his seventh team, one senses the versatile forward finds the conversations around line juggling and position flipping a tad tiresome.
That’s fair.
But it’s equally fair to stress the need for Berube to find second and third lines that work well together.
Granted, none of Domi, Nylander and McMann would circle defence as their calling card — and leaving a shooter like Tavares without a certified playmaker raises another set of questions — but in their short time together, something has clicked.
They’re winning the shot share, outscoring the competition, and delivering bursts of fast, fun hockey.
“They had a good game overall, all three of them,” Berube said. “That’s important for us, putting the puck in the net too.”
Fox’s Fast Five
• The injured Drew Doughty was bummed to miss the Kings’ annual trip to Ontario. Alas, L.A.’s No. 1 defenceman was unable to influence the outcome via TV screen or text messages.
“Drew loved to play in Toronto. He’d bring everyone in from London,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said pre-game. “So, he’s encouraging the guys and letting them know: You don’t lose when you come to Toronto.”
“We miss him, and he misses us as well,” added Quinton Byfield.
After leaving the province with 14 goals allowed in two games, the Kings miss Doughty more. Gulp.
• How did trade bait Timothy Liljegren fare in his long-awaited season debut?
“He was fine,” according to Berube. “Pretty solid.”
Liljegren skated 13:55, lowest among Leafs defencemen, pinched in on a clean PK, and got caught for an overzealous cross-check despite having good position on his check. Toronto was out-attempted 20-2 and outshot 8-2 when Liljegren was on the ice (yikes), despite Berube trying to shelter his matchups, but he escaped with an even rating.
“He should be a good puck mover. It’s just about him managing his game and managing his puck movement and making good decisions with it — not risky ones,” Berube said.
“Just simplify, and then you got to win your battles, right? As a defenceman, that’s important, that you’re defending well, and you’re strong on your net front, you’re winning those board battles and corner battles and things like that. He’s gotta do that.”
Stars GM Jim Nill was among the visiting scouts and management representing 14 opposing clubs taking in Leafs-Kings from the press box.
• Future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar (1,377 games played) has scored a goal in every NHL city he has visited… except Toronto.
• Has there been a sillier thing to worry about than Matthews starting the season pointless in three games? Especially considering the captain ripped a trademark wrister for a goal, set up two more, and drew a couple of penalties in Game 4?
“They don’t go in all the time,” Berube shrugged. “You go through stretches as a player. I went through a lot of stretches like that. Like, 50 games.”
Matthews’ coach averaged 0.06 goals per game over his playing career, and we’re rounding up.
Matthews is averaging 0.65 goals per game in his.
• Nick Robertson, a Pasadena, Calif., native always get a little more amped to face his hometown L.A. Kings. (Fun fact: Robertson was born 10 days before GM Rob Blake’s son, Jack, and the two played together as kids.)
“It’s like a kid from Toronto playing the Leafs,” Robertson said.
