Final Preseason Game Reveals Which Maple Leafs Deserve a Spot on Opening Night
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
With the conclusion of Toronto's final preseason game before the regular season, who were some players to watch coming out of Saturday night's contest.
Saturday night's game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs saw essentially the 'B' team for the blue and white lace them up in the finale of the preseason, giving some players one last chance to stake their claim for a spot before the season kicks off.
It was a balanced effort all round with all the lines contributing, and we even had a Nick Robertson shorthanded goal that should help cement his place his the lineup going forward.
Penalties were something that absolutely killed the Maple Leafs on Saturday night however, as they ended up giving Detroit multiple 6-on-3 chances which eventually led to their goals, and a PPG was the decision maker in OT.
But after walking away with a 6-5 OT loss after a stunning Detroit comeback, what were the bright spots of the game for the Maple Leafs? Let's take a look.
Who Stood Out in the Final Tune-Up Before Opening Night
First and foremost, kudos to Nick Robertson for putting in a great effort. He was relentless on the forecheck all night, and ended up scoring a blistering goal off a steal in the neutral zone, giving Toronto a 2-1 lead.
Amidst questions around his spot in the lineup, Robertson was electric and put together five shots and three hits, plus was tasked with playing key penalty killing minutes.
Another standout, well standouts, were the Marlies trio of Alex Nylander, Matthew Barbolini and Logan Shaw.
Nylander and Shaw both added goals, and were a combined plus-4 with three points, with the former's goal being very much Nylander-esque, whereas Shaw's was as gritty as can be:
Finally, what was old may not be new again but it certainly felt comfortable.
James Reimer came in halfway during the second period and looked ever the calm veteran Toronto needed him to be when they brought him in.
Looking sharp after only a few days at camp, he stopped 23 of 27 shots he faced, but couldn't withstand the constant Detroit pressure.
Dennis Hildeby was solid, and though he gave up two goals, there wasn't much he could do on the first Red Wings goal:
Meanwhile, Patrick Kane decided to go vintage on his goal, and tied the game at two; though again there wasn't much the 'Hildebeast' could do:
What This Performance Means for the Final Maple Leafs Roster Decisions
While the team was certainly filled with the depth and mainstays of the Marlies, there's a lot of excitement towards Robertson's progress and where he fits in the lineup.
With Scott Laughton out, it seems like Toronto will use Max Domi at center instead of with Auston Matthews for now, and Robertson could find himself on the third line with Domi and Easton Cowan to form a ridiculously offensive group.
It doesn't change a lot for the Maple Leafs going into Wednesday's season opener against Montreal, and everyone except Cowan, Benoit, Robertson, and perhaps Jarnkrok are going to be with the Leafs to start the year.
It does give Craig Berube and Brad Treliving a very good idea of who to call up in case of emergency and guys like Shaw and Nylander deserve a chance, especially if they keep lighting it up in the AHL.
However, the coaching staff needs to sit the team down and say 'Hey, start being more disciplined' because although it's just the preseason, they have taken a ton of calls the last two games and it's cost them both times against Detroit.
Hopefully this won't knock the Maple Leafs' confidence heading into the 2025-26 season which kicks off next week, as the team looks to defend their Atlantic Division title without Mitch Marner for the first time in 10 years.
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