Maple Leafs Prospects vs Canadiens: Key Takeaways on Who Looked NHL-Ready
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
The second Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Showdown game against the Montreal Canadiens taught us about who might be closest to an NHL job in the near future.
With the second game of the Prospect Showcase concluded, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to pull out the victory over the Montreal Canadiens, taking the game by a 4-1 margin.
Goals from Luke Haymes, Ryan Tverberg (two) and Ryan Kirwan helped the team out, while Landom Sim got himself into another fight; one of three in the game that had regular season intensity even being weeks before the season starts.
But who were the ones who really shone on Sunday? Let's take a look.
Which Leafs Prospects Look Closest to NHL-Ready After Game 2
While Easton Cowan sat today, we did get a look at some others who were part of Saturday's game and much like yesterday they didn't disappoint.
Haymes and Kirwan found the scoresheet again, and both men provided great relentless energy at both ends of the ice. Haymes scored on a gorgeous one-timer and Kirwan let a shot rip from the slot which beat the goalie.
Toronto's second top prospect, Ben Danford was a menace as well. He played the exact type of game you expect of him, finishing hits, fighting for pucks and blocking a ton of shots; you'd of thought he just started skating with how much he was sprawling on the ice.
Another defenseman, John Prokop also was very impressive. Playing with poise, he ended up making some key defensive plays and his passing looked as sharp as ever.
Vyacheslav Peksa was a stone wall in net, turning away 36 shots and looking calm and relaxed, not really looking too out of place.
Things got testy at the end of the game however as Rhett Parsons took a roughing call after repeatedly shoving a Canadiens player, and a few scrums towards the end whistle.
Montreal's lone goal from Filip Mesar cut the Maple Leafs lead in half at 2-1, but the team ran away with it at the end.
How the Canadiens Clash Tested Toronto's Top Young Talent
While we didn't see the top guys like Ivan Demidov or Easton Cowan, there was a lot to be happy about besides the 4-1 win.
Montreal was relentless at putting pucks on the net, and weren't shy about trying to agitate and frustrate the Leafs into making bad penalties (like the Parsons one at the end of the game).
But their young talent didn't shy away, as Landon Sim and Sam McCue both had fights and are seen as two players with great offensive talent and upside but a nasty edge that often goes under appreciated.
The mini Leafs' forechecking was great, they played hard and didn't give up on plays and many absorbed some pretty big hits and skated away unscathed; overall it may have looked like Montreal dominated on shots; but Toronto was a brick wall.
Now as the Prospect Showcase concludes, there's a better idea of who might be potentially called up and who were the better signings for Brad Treliving this past season (Haymes, Kirwan).
Next stop? Training camp.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 14 | 994 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Prospects vs Canadiens: Key Takeaways on Who Looked NHL-Ready Who do you think was the best prospect for the Maple Leafs against the Canadiens? | ||
| Jacob Quillan | 239 | 24 % |
| Luke Haymes | 233 | 23.4 % |
| Vyacheslav Peksa | 117 | 11.8 % |
| Ben Danford | 405 | 40.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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