If the Maple Leafs’ malfunctioning power play doesn’t change its ways, we might see a real ‘Savardian Spinorama.’
Not on the ice from a creative skater in the manner of the great Montreal defenceman, but from Marc Savard, who might lose it on the bench.
As the Leafs headed to Boston after the special teams struggle highlighted two lopsided losses to Columbus and St. Louis, it got plenty of attention at Friday’s practice and was the topic du jour in the dressing room.
Savard met its two mainstays, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, individually on the ice, but as Leafs assistant coaches aren’t permitted to speak to the media, headmaster Craig Berube and the players in question had to answer for its shortcomings.
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“We’re all part of it, we all want it to do well,” Berube said. “We just have to keep banging away at it. They’re getting opportunities, but they’re not going in. Shooting’s a little off, things like that.
“We also can get pucks into the good area of the ice and create second and third chances.”
Berube is not losing faith in Savard, a staffer who was with him for the Stanley Cup run in St. Louis and a pretty good specialist himself as a player. And he’s not moving Matthews, Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson from the first unit.
Matthew Knies could be a logical addition if the numbers keep looking bleak.
The power play is in a 3-for-27 funk through eight games and 4-for-48 going back to the Boston playoff series last year when Guy Boucher ran the unit under Sheldon Keefe.
It has been part of the Leafs game judged “too cute” in Berube’s words. But how do you take out that element of speed and skill that Matthews, Marner and Nylander, in particular, are so good at?
“Just be straightforward,” Marner said of the man-advantage mess-ups. “We don’t need to score on every single shot we take, we have to try and create a little scrum in front of the net, kick out pucks. And that’s when their penalty killers start running around and getting out of sorts.”
Berube had some harsh words on the bench for Matthews on Thursday, though it had to do with the captain’s defence on the Blues’ third goal. That was not something the Leafs saw a lot of under Keefe and Matthews is no doubt having trouble processing it.
“It’s just accountability to everybody is all it is,” Berube said. “It’s nothing personal, it’s me being a coach and doing what I think is right at the time.”
New team captain Matthews, one of those who offered a mea culpa after Thursday for his sloven play, was first on the ice for Friday’s practice.
His first line remains untouched with Marner and Knies, while Max Domi, Nylander and Bobby McMann make up the second and Berube plans to keep energy winger Steven Lorentz up on the third line with John Tavares at centre and Nick Robertson.
“Lorentz is a hard-working guy for Johnny in the offensive zone, down low,” Berube noted. “Stevie has good size, I thought that line was good for us (Thursday).”
Another area Berube is trying to shake up are blueline pairings. After a long commitment to playing Rielly and Chris Tanev together, with their comfort level from Team Canada at previous world championships, there has been a split.
Rielly was with Ekman-Larsson on Friday, Jake McCabe with Tanev — a potential physical duo the Leafs had last year when McCabe was paired with Simon Benoit.
Left winger Max Pacioretty was back at practice after a lower body injury during the 6-2 loss in Columbus, but could be parked behind David Kampf, Ryan Reaves and Pontus Holmberg against the Bruins.
Centre Fraser Minten (high ankle spain) was not on the ice Friday, but Berube insists he’s progressing. It’s likely Minten starts with the Marlies when he is 100%.
This will be the Leafs first trip to Boston since losing Game 7 and no doubt the B’s see the game as their own ticket out of early season doldrums. Their loss to Dallas on Thursday dropped their record to 3-4-1. In suffering three straight defeats, they’ve been taking too many penalties and surrendered three power-play goals.
It doesn’t get any easier Monday in Winnipeg, where the Jets won their first six games.
Anthony Stolarz, with a .938 save percentage, is expected to start for the Leafs after Dennis Hildeby was shelled in Columbus before returning to the Marlies and Joseph Woll gave up two early goals in his first start of the season on Thursday.
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