The Leafs got off to a hot start by scoring two quick goals in the first period, but Detroit would turn the tides as the game progressed and took control from the second onward as the Red Wings went on to win 4-2 on Friday night.
The Leafs got off to a hot start in the first period by cycling the puck well and getting high-danger chances off. Their first two goals were due to some crisp passing, with Nick Abruzzese’s coming from the slot and Rasmus Sandin’s off the point. Even if the shots didn’t find twine, they still ended up being tough ones for Alex Nedeljkovic to stop.
Aside from Sandin and Samsonov, Friday night’s lineup was full of players looking to either secure a roster spot or move up higher on the call-up rankings. The strong effort all throughout was commendable to see and further reinforces that the team has a lot of quality depth. Hell, even Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds were generating quality looks in this one.
On the power play in the second period, the Leafs were able to maintain possession for a long time and get a lot of good looks in spite of failing to capitalize. Sandin was on the ice for the majority of it and was doing an exceptional job manning the point, getting shots through traffic, and dictating the pace. With sequences like that, he should have little trouble securing the defensive position on the second unit.
After Toronto’s hot start, things naturally started to tilt in favour of Detroit. While Ilya Samsonov did his best to weather the storm, the dam was not going to hold forever and eventually burst.
On Tyler Bertuzzi’s goal, the Leafs allowed him to have an open lane to make his way to a prime scoring position to score. The exact same thing happened on Elmer Söderblom’s goal, only his was deep in the offensive zone and he was able to get to the front of the net with minimal resistance. If you’re going to give up a shot, try and make it from a low percentage area and don’t make it easy for them to get in a better position to bury one.
Samsonov had a mostly solid night, but some of the goals he surrendered were ones he would like to have back. That is especially the case on the game-winner where he could not stop a Joseph Veleno goal from along the boards. While it is true that he was screened in front of the crease, there could have been a better job of making it easier for Samsonov to track the puck.
Sandin may have said that he was not at his best, but he was the Leafs’ best player in this one. He was moving his feet well and making plays at both ends of the ice. Sheldon Keefe granted him big special teams and Sandin rewarded his coach with some encouraging play that should earn him a longer look as the year progresses. Getting a goal early in the first was the cherry on top.
It goes without saying that the preseason goes on for way too long. It feels weird that meaningless hockey was still being played while the regular season started overseas in Europe, but I digress.
Roster cuts will be happening tomorrow, which marks the end of the preseason for the Leafs who host the Red Wings for a rematch. You can catch the game on TSN4 with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.
