New Maple Leafs get shut down in Montreal

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MONTREAL — Auditions to seek out the subsequent Zach Hyman — and sorting by means of a casting name of different Leafs wannabes — didn’t go easily on the Bell Centre stage Monday evening.

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One other new Toronto lineup, this one challenged with a younger defence and new forwards making an attempt to acclimatize, ran right into a Canadiens workforce debuting its personal incoming expertise of their first residence sport for the reason that playoffs. Certain, Leafs comparable to Nick Ritchie, David Kampf, Ondrej Kase, Nikita Gusev and goalie Petr Mrazek obtained their toes moist in hammering greater than 30 pictures, however they had been additionally swamped at occasions in a 5-2 pre-season loss.

The Leafs had been a step behind and didn’t really get into the sport till the Habs rested veteran goalie Jake Allen on the midway level. Kevin Poulin gave up a softy to Justin Holl after which Morgan Rielly discovered Kase. Their pre-season report is 1-1.

Ritchie, the burly winger hoping to get into an early lead within the first-line left wing sweepstakes, was robbed by Allen on Mitch Marner’s finest set-up of the evening. Marner shall be a bit distracted in camp with out the injured Auston Matthews, however he, Ritchie and placeholder Adam Brooks had some buzz. Brooks had a second-period aim referred to as again when the Canadiens efficiently detected he was a step offside.

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Ritchie did one thing not in Hyman’s job description, wading right into a scrum on the finish of the primary with Montreal making an attempt to intimidate and throwing some punches with Ben Chiarot.

Nonetheless, any rhythm the Leafs hope to determine on the highway within the first was disrupted by 4 straight penalties, two of them moderately unintended stick infractions, one to Rielly underneath the league’s cross-check crackdown.

That gave speedy Ilya Mikheyev a lot of work on the PK, he and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev taking part in their second exhibition already, however when the hard-luck Mikheyev missed a short-handed likelihood, Josh Anderson transformed the following odd-man rush. Christian Dvorak, introduced in from Arizona for a few excessive draft picks when Carolina stole Jesper Kotkaniemi with a suggestion sheet, assisted on that and was completely alone in entrance when Jonathan Drouin marked his return after lacking playoffs with a pleasant move.

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After Michael Pezzetta obtained behind Holl and Carl Dahlstrom to tip one previous Jack Campbell on Montreal’s twelfth shot, it was time to provide Soupy a break and see what Mrazek might do in his bid to separate time or win the No. 1 job outright. Proper after Holl’s aim, Anderson obtained his second that appeared to ramp up off Rielly’s stick, however Mrazek flashed leather-based afterward two breakaways, one by Anderson

Toronto could have one other shuffled roster on Wednesday in Ottawa as its pre-season schedule reaches the midway level, The Leafs host Montreal within the season opener on Oct. 13.

The Leafs gave junior defenceman William Villeneuve a thrill, bringing him alongside to his residence province and dressing him in warmup after signing an entry-level contract on the weekend. Along with his QMJHL season beginning, he’s seemingly among the many first camp cuts.

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Brennan Menell was one of many new Leafs to get rocked within the early going, however a boarding/roughing double minor on Jake Evans introduced Ritchie into the scrum.

The Leafs didn’t click on on Evans’ double minor and all of the short-handed conditions meant Marner didn’t get a lot time in his new position as Toronto’s ‘bumper’ on the facet with the additional man.

Drouin, after day without work with private points, might wind up taking part in with Dvorak and Anderson.

“They’re three totally different gamers,” coach Dominique Ducharme mentioned earlier than the sport. “We all know Josh’s energy, Jonathan’s imaginative and prescient and ability and Devo is dependable on each side of the puck. In the event that they play the suitable means, they are often efficient offensively and accountable defensively.”

Poulin steadied himself within the third, after some mock cheers from the gang, an area COVID-19 mandated 7,500. They had been extra considering taunting the Leafs after final Might’s playoff win.

lhornby@postmedia.com