If you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you probably enjoyed last night’s win and slept well afterwards. If you’re a fan on a borderline sick level and remember every piece of lore that comes with following this franchise, you’ll be elated to hear that Steven Lorentz is one of you.
In the Maple Leafs’ 3-0 shutout win over the Vegas Golden Knights, perhaps one of their gutsier victories of the season, Lorentz caught the attention of viewers with back-to-back blocked shots on a penalty kill, much to the pleasure of goaltender Joseph Woll and the Maple Leafs’ fanbase. And if that wasn’t enough to earn the respect of the latter, he dropped an absolutely legendary reference to the media when talking about his shift on the penalty kill.
Steven Lorentz on blocking three shots in the same spot last night, including two on the same shift
“I was channelling my inner Timmy Brent there 🙂 … It definitely didn’t feel too good, but it’s always worth it when the guys come through.”
Foot a little swollen today https://t.co/MD4OG9w8jk
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 21, 2024
It’s one thing to sign with the Maple Leafs and talk about how you grew up a fan, it’s another thing to reference Tim Brent of all people to reporters. It’s hard to fathom any more of a deep cut that will resonate with the die-hards.
For those who don’t remember, Tim Brent was another utility bottom-six forward, like Lorentz, who played for the team from 2009-2011, and ironically enough hails from the same region. And on February 3rd, 2011 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Brent captured the respect of fans at Scotiabank Arena (then called Air Canada Centre) by laying out for three blocked shots and an eventual puck clear on the same shift.
Despite the reputation the Maple Leafs have around the league as a high-skill, fancy offensive team, the majority of the fanbase is blue collar, and you can see it in the way fans idolize the likes of Darcy Tucker, Wendel Clark, and Tie Domi. You’re more likely to cement yourself as a legend in Toronto if you lay out for a crucial blocked shot than you are if you score 40 goals in the regular season, and you can hear it in the crowd reaction to Brent’s penalty-kill shift.
Lorentz knows what he has to do to help his team win, and after starting the season with a tryout agreement, shifts like these are going to ensure he’s got a gold nameplate on the fourth line.