One of the first things Craig Berube sensed at training camp was the potential of a heavyweight fourth line to give his new charges renewed identity.
Ryan Reaves (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and centre David Kampf (6-2, around 200) were already in place, but putting free agent Steven Lorentz (6-4, 216) has been an ideal complement to date. A crash-and-bang/energy troika is hardly a new concept, but rarely has Toronto put so much beef on it.
In Friday’s 3-1 win over Detroit, they helped grind down the Red Wings in the third period as the Maple Leafs clung to a one-goal lead, keeping a regular shift instead of Berube going to a shortened bench.
Lorentz came from a Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup championship roster that Paul Maurice deployed the same way,
“For me, it was a seamless transition from last year, a group that played big and heavy,” Lorentz said Friday morning. “That’s what Kampf and Reavo bring as well. It still takes time to get on the same page for a lot of things, but when your mindset is the same as those two guys, not cheating for offence and playing the right way, success will come.”
Berube likes that other teams are looking over their shoulder on the forecheck.
“Lorentz and Kampf are also killing penalties and doing a good job,” he added. “Reaves is out there … and people just know he’s out there. He’s skating well. That’s what we need from them. It rubs off on the rest of the team.”
HALL RIGHT NOW
Triple Gold club member Pavel Datsyuk naturally got the biggest hand in the pre-game ceremony from a Red Wings-flavoured crowd as the seven new Hockey Hall of Fame members were introduced prior to Monday’s official induction. Among the honoured members on the blue carpet greeting line was defenceman Larry Murphy, who played for both teams, and two other Leafs — outgoing chairman Lanny McDonald and incoming Mike Gartner.
Jeremy Roenick also received a warm greeting, even though he’d done his best through the years to vex the Leafs, especially at playoff time, saying he is sometimes recognized in the street when visiting town.
“The fans say: ‘We hate you, we hate you … aw, we love you’,” he chuckled.
FILM FLAM
NHL vice-president and builder nominee Colin Campbell was hailed as one of the founding fathers of video replay and the war room before the game. But there was lots of grumbling at Scotiabank Arena when Nick Robertson’s goal was called back in the first period by Derek Lalonde’s coach’s challenge.
After there were some grounds for a penalty on Marco Kasper for bumping Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, Bobby McMann and Robertson went up the ice with McMann getting a piece of Cam Talbot as he buzzed the net and centred to Robertson. Talbot was very deep in his net which should’ve helped McMann’s case, but the officials saw the replay differently. They wiped out what would’ve been Robertson’s badly needed second goal of the season in his 100th career game.
HOLL AND NOTES
Former Leaf Justin Holl has been used sporadically this season, but got back in the lineup Friday.
Lalonde credited Holl with waiting his turn while Detroit cycled through some younger defencemen.
Holl has been with Detroit two seasons and we asked about the Leafs’ jam band he used to organize, himself on keyboard and vocals, Auston Matthews on drums, Andreas Johnsson on bass and Travis Dermott on guitar.
“It was fun, but here (no Wings play any instruments). So I’ve gone solo.”
LOOSE LEAFS
While his birth certificate was often the source of much speculation, Leafs Hall of Famer Johnny Bower would’ve turned 100 on Friday … Roenick recalled working a hockey clinic in Phoenix while playing for the Coyotes that a young Matthews attended … Saturday’s Leafs game against Montreal will include a pre-game Remembrance Day observance … The Wings are also on a back-to-back, facing the Rangers at home Saturday. Ville Husso, who cleared waivers, was an emergency call up after Alex Lyons, who was supposed to start against Toronto, developed a lower body problem. Husso was to play against New York.