Toronto Maple Leafs Change Power-Play, Matthews Back at Practice

The Toronto Maple Leafs split the first two games of their pre-season schedule with Montreal, but nobody really cares about the scores of exhibition hockey games.

The two most important questions facing the Toronto Maple Leafs as they entered this season’s training camp revolved around their two big-name franchise centres.

The question of John Tavares – who was injured when Corey Perry accidently kicked him in the head in game one of their first round playoff series – was answered when he suited up in the Leafs first preseason game.  (And scored a goal!).

The question of Auston Matthews remains unanswered, but the good news is that he attended his first practice of the season on Tuesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs News and Notes

Matthews is expected to be ready for the Leafs first game of the year, which takes place on October 13th and is, of course, against the Montreal Canadiens.

In other news, the Leafs power-play will be getting a new look this season.

Manny Malhotra is out as the team’s primary power-play coach, and new assistant Spencer Carbery will take over.

Malhotra is no longer running the power-play because of how bad it was last season.  Though it was hardly the fault of the coach, the Leafs power-play woes were quite brutal.  Near the top of the league after about half the games, the Leafs went into a tailspin with the man advantage that cost them a shot at the President’s Trophy and the second round of the playoffs.

Even with Matthews and Marner not producing at 5v5 in the playoffs, and even with Jake Muzzin out for game seven, the Leafs still basically lost their series vs Montreal by a single goal.

If the power-play was clicking, it’s possible, even likely, that they would have been able to overcome all the other setbacks they faced.  Therefore, some changes are in order.

One, the coach is changing.

Two, the set-up will be different.  According to Sportsnet, Marner will switch from the “flank to the slot,” on the power-play. William Nylander will occupy Marner’s old spot, and his shot should take some pressure off of Matthews and make the power-play far less predictable.

As good as he is, Marner’s shot is weak for an NHL superstar, whereas Nylander’s shot (while not as good as Matthews) is still fantastic.  Often times last year the Leafs took Nylander off the top unit while seeking balance, but this not only took their second best shooter off the ice, it also took away their best puck carrier for entries.

There is no one on the Toronto Maple Leafs who can enter a zone with possession like Nylander, and giving him a bigger role on the power-play should be a surefire way to get it back on track.