Maple Leafs answer several questions in preseason loss to Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for the first time this season in a split-squad session against the Montreal Canadiens.

While the Leafs lost both games, one of them, a misleading 4-1 loss, answered several questions everyone had in mind heading into this campaign.

But after Saturday, there shouldn’t be very many lingering doubts.

Auston Matthews look like his old self again

Perhaps the biggest question for the Maple Leafs revolved around Auston Matthews. In particular, there were endless concerns about his health.

Well, he dispelled all of those concerns early in the game.

Matthews went on a coast-to-coast rush that culminated in a scoring chance. Beyond the evident effort, the Maple Leafs captain skated over 35 KPH, something which he managed to do just twice last season.

While Matthews did not score in the game, he looked more like himself as the game wore on. He got multiple shots on goal and assisted on the club’s only goal in the game (more on that in a moment). It seems that becoming unshackled from Craig Berube’s system has paid off immediate dividends for the superstar center.

Darren Raddysh showed why Maple Leafs gave him the big bucks

Darren Raddysh was another question mark heading into the season. While there is no question his skill set is there, there were some concerns about how his game would transfer to Toronto.

Well, on Saturday night he left no doubt. Raddysh scored the Leafs’ only goal, a rocket that showed why John Chayka was so bullish on him.

Raddysh’s blast shattered the stick of the Canadiens’ defender, then caromed off another player and into the back of the net. If this is what Raddysh will be bringing to the table, it looks like the Maple Leafs made a wise choice after all.

It’s worth pointing out that Raddysh did have some defensive hiccups. For instance, he took a penalty in the first period. But that’s all right. It’s only the first preseason game. That’s why there’s no need to panic for now.

If Raddysh can bring that shot and play average defense, he should be an excellent addition to the Leafs’ blueline this season.

Gavin McKenna showed flashes of what’s to come

Gavin McKenna also showed Maple Leafs fans flashes of what’s to come. He demonstrated why he’s an elite playmaker, pulling off several cool moves on the night.

The Leafs’ prized rookie almost got on the scoresheet on this play.

McKenna nearly got Tavares his first goal of the preseason. The play made the Canadiens’ defenders look foolish. Unfortunately, McKenna ended up taking a penalty on the play.

The early returns indicate that McKenna hardly looked slow or out of place. For an 18-year-old just getting his first taste of the NHL, McKenna looked very good. If he can keep this pace up, it may only take a couple of games for him to really ignite the scoresheet.

Considering what we saw on Saturday night, Maple Leafs fans have to be bullish despite the disappointing losses.

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