The Ottawa Senators' Michael Del Zotto, left, attempts to block a shot by the Leafs' John Tavares in the third period of their preseason game in Toronto on Oct. 9, 2021.Evan Buhler/The Canadian Press
More than 11,000 spectators filed into Scotiabank Arena for a Maple Leafs exhibition game on Saturday night. They were thankful to be there even in snug-fitting masks, and one fellow also put a rubber turkey on his head as a nod to Monday’s Thanksgiving holiday.
Hockey’s return to normalcy – okay, nearly so, at least – has been a long time coming. A full house is expected for Wednesday’s season-opener when the Montreal Canadiens visit Toronto to enjoy a good booing from bitter locals.
The Ottawa Senators don’t raise such hackles, primarily because they aren’t very good. There is no real battle of Ontario to speak of anymore to frenzy a crowd but none was necessary on Saturday. People were happy, even if their glasses fogged up and they had to eat at their seats as part of the current COVID-19 protocols.
One man waved a sign that read, ”It is nice to be back in the barn, eh?” A youngster held up another clearly penned with his own hand: “My Frist Game Ever!”
Kids clamoured for sticks just like they used to and, notes hanging, Martina Ortiz Luis belted out a pitch-perfect O Canada before the puck was dropped. There were boxes of popcorn and soft drinks in the press box and for many of us to watch live hockey for the first time in 18 months was quite fun.
The Maple Leafs concluded the preseason with an easy 4-1 victory. They won five of their six practice engagements and look sharp as they head into the real thing. Nick Ritchie scored his third goal in as many games and Pierre Engvall had his third in just two. Jack Campbell stopped all but one of the 19 shots he faced, and Wayne Simmonds pounded Scott Sabourin into the ice near the end for good measure.
At this point, we don’t know if the NHL will be able to pull off its planned 82-game regular season during a continuing pandemic but just the thought of it feels like a soothing breeze.
Toronto’s sharp-shooting centre Auston Matthews, still recovering from wrist surgery, has yet to play and it remains unclear if he will be available on opening night. The team lost the speedy Ilya Mikheyev to injury against the Senators, and it looks as though he may not return for a good while.
Other than that, there is little to complain about from what we have seen so far. Newcomers Ritchie, Michael Bunting, David Kampf and Ondrej Kase all had strong training camps. Petr Mrazek, another newbie to Toronto, seems ready to provide a reliable alternative to Campbell in net.
The Maple Leafs won three times last week and enjoyed a getaway to Ontario’s cottage country to unwind a bit.
“It’s not really a true getaway because you guys are all here,” Matthews chirped at a small gathering of journalists that followed the team to the Muskoka region. He was being playful and it was accepted as such. It is too early for fangs on either side to be exposed.
“We definitely wanted to win tonight,” Morgan Rielly, the Toronto defenceman, said after the win over Ottawa. “The week has been good for us, and we wanted to end it on a good note. We are ready to rock.” The Maple Leafs have rolled over more than Beethoven during the playoffs for 17 years. They were good – but not good enough – in each of the past two abbreviated seasons.
This was the first full training camp for head coach Sheldon Keefe and this is already his third season behind the bench.
“The last few training camps have been different,” said Leafs captain John Tavares. He meant that in not a very good way. “This one has been more traditional.”
There seems to be more answers than questions for the first time as the season looms. Then again, this is Toronto so the skids are always greasy.
Will the Tampa Bay Lightning prove to be invincible for a third consecutive year? Will the Florida Panthers finally make a dramatic ascent? Are the Bruins beginning to age a bit? What will the Canadiens do without Shea Weber for an entire schedule, and Carey Price for a chunk of it?
The Atlantic Division poses far more of a challenge than 2021′s all-Canadian alignment. Anything and everything could happen.
Bring it on.
“As a group, I think we are ready to go,” said Campbell, who is almost always as exuberant as a puppy. “I think we did what we wanted to in the preseason.”
He said he had goosebumps on Saturday when he heard the crowd.
“It was great to see everybody,” he said.
Likewise.
Marty Klinkenberg