Maple Leafs answer 3 questions in split-squad sweep of Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like a completely different team in their split-squad sweep of the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.

The two clubs deployed two different lineups, one in Toronto and the other in Ottawa, with the Leafs taking both games by scores of 6-1 and 4-2.

The 6-1 game featured most of the Leafs’ main lineup, while the 4-2 victory consisted of depth guys and Marlies regulars.

The showing was almost a 180-degree turn from the losses to the Montreal Canadiens over the weekend. And that’s why the Maple Leafs answered three questions in the two games.

Gavin McKenna looked even better

There have been so many questions about how well Gavin McKenna will adjust to the NHL. Well, in his second preseason game, the first-overall pick was absolutely nuts.

Here’s a first-period play that highlights just what fans can expect.

McKenna pulled off a similar slick move in the second period that led to a Kasper Halttunen hooking call. The penalty became Jack Roslovic’s first preseason goal, a power play tally.

McKenna also got his first unofficial point as a Maple Leaf, assisting in John Tavares’ first-period goal.

It’s still a little too soon to make a call, but McKenna should be lights-out this season and looks like an early Calder Trophy favorite.

Goaltending looked solid for Maple Leafs

Another major question has been the goaltending situation. Well, that too got a favorable answer on Wednesday night.

Sergei Bobrovsky had a bit of an uneventful night. He stopped 13 of 14 shots en route to the 6-1 victory. He didn’t need to be brilliant, especially with the Maple Leafs playing a decent game in front of him.

The only blemish, and one that does deserve some attention, was a first-period hiccup by Darren Raddysh that led to Tim Stutzle making everyone in blue look silly.

The Leafs got caught on a bad line change, with Raddysh looking slow and flat-footed. Those plays cannot be regular occurrences during the season. But the good news is that everyone settled down and held down the fort.

In the other game, Anthony Stolarz got the call. He stopped 19 of 21 shots, with the Leafs/Marlies playing a very good, physical game in front of him. The bottom-six guys showed plenty of grit, considering they faced a mostly AHL lineup with a sprinkling of some of Ottawa’s top guys.

If the Leafs can play decently in front of their goalies, Stolarz and Bobrovsky should not have to stand on their heads to keep the Leafs alive.

The top six looks fantastic

The top six looked fantastic. Auston Matthews had three points (1G, 2A), and Tavares had three of his own, with Jack Roslovic quickly answering questions about his performance with three points of his own.

Meanwhile, William Nylander had a solid game, registering one assist, but it was a beauty. Here’s a look:

The goal started with a great play by McKenna, eventually leading to the 2-on-1 rush that culminated in the tally.

The Maple Leafs’ top guys made it look easy at times. And while it certainly won’t be that way for much of the year, there’s plenty to be encouraged about in Wednesday night’s showing.

And with that, the Leafs are done with their preseason games. The attention will turn to their opener on September 29, in which they’ll have a chance to prove that the split-squad losses were completely meaningless.

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