"The Leafs' NHL rosters went 0-2-1 in preseason, while their "B" squads went 2-0-1. The Leafs aren't an incredibly old team by any means - they are the 12th oldest to start the season - but they are a veteran squad. And veterans really do not care about the preseason. In their last exhibition game as a full NHL lineup in Toronto against Montreal, all the penalties seemed to kill the game."
"Before the penalty calls in the first period, William Nylander went on a breakaway on the second shift, the Leafs drew a penalty and immediately scored on the power play, Steven Lorentz went on a 2v1, Matthew Knies missed on a breakaway, Bobby McMann torched Erik Gustafsson and broke in alone, and Nicolas Roy 's line generated a dominant cycle shift that led to Roy walking in all alone against the goalie."
"In the last playoff run, by my count, the Leafs ' power play scored five goals where they won the faceoff and immediately funnelled pucks and traffic to the net. They did it again with their top power play unit against Detroit last Thursday. It's clearly a staple in their power-play plan: win the draw, fire a low shot through traffic, and drive the net, sowing chaos for the penalty kill. It's working for them."
The Maple Leafs' NHL rosters went 0-2-1 in preseason while their B squads went 2-0-1. The roster ranks as the 12th oldest to start the season and features many veterans who generally devalue preseason results. In the final exhibition versus Montreal, penalties derailed a first period that featured multiple high-danger chances including a Nylander breakaway, an immediate power-play goal, and several other rush chances and dominant cycle shifts. The power play emphasizes winning draws, firing low shots through traffic, and driving the net; that approach produced multiple playoff goals and was replicated against Detroit. Nick Robertson excelled on the left wing, and Simon Benoit's left-side usage raised positional questions.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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