Takeaways from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 7–2 thrashing of the Montreal Canadiens

Then he scored the Leafs’ second goal with a nice dangle from a pass from Bobby McMann:

On the night, Laughton finished with two goals and two assists for four points. Steven Lorentz also scored two goals, with the first one being on the power play:

Lorentz finished the night with two goals and an assist. Last season, Lorentz tied his season high of 19 points with the Leafs, scoring eight goals and 11 assists. While it is preseason, it is encouraging to see both Laughton and Lorentz find the back of the net.

Cowan looked like he fit well on the Laughton line, which was the Leafs’ first line. Berube is clearly testing Cowan defensively by pairing him with the Leafs’ fourth liners and assessing a possible fit. There’s no doubt that he has the offensive skills; however, it’s how Cowan plays defence that will determine his fate. Cowan did pick up an assist on the Leafs’ sixth goal, and it was his speed that started the play. His speed with Laughton and Lorentz is what made this line dangerous.

The question is whether Cowan’s development would be better suited in the AHL, where he can play first-line minutes and be deployed in situations he would not otherwise be deployed in at the NHL level. Whether Cowan makes the team out of camp or starts with the Marlies and gets called up during the regular season due to injuries, his defensive game has matured.

Top-six auditions

McMann is another player that the Leafs needed more from last season. He did not score in the last 11 regular season games, nor did he score in the 13 playoff games. Last night, he showed that he has the offensive tools, scoring one goal and one assist. So far in the preseason, he has two goals and an assist.

The other dominant forward for the Leafs was Matias Maccelli. Maccelli has looked very good this preseason, picking up another two assists in last night’s game, including a nice bank pass off the boards for Laughton’s second goal.

Maccelli also looked dangerous on the power play, and we can see his hockey IQ on display by making several difficult passes look easy. While known for being a pass-first player, Maccelli has shown, at least in these two preseason games, to be willing to use his NHL shot. This is a welcome sight, given the history of Leafs player makers who would simply defer to Matthews.

Onto the next

Over the next couple of days, the Leafs’ coaching staff will start to make roster cuts, and we will see the opening night roster starting to take shape. With the Leafs having one of the worst prospect pools in the NHL, it has been encouraging seeing the effort and talent of these prospects. At the very least, the Toronto Marlies should have a competitive team this year.

The Leafs play next on Saturday in Toronto against the Canadiens. The Leafs’ roster for this game will be close to an NHL lineup, with hopefully one of the Leafs’ NHL goaltenders starting for the first time this preseason. With Max Domi possibly playing on Saturday, and as we near the end of the preseason, competition is going to get even fiercer for the few spots available.