SIMMONS: Maple Leafs need to find themselves on the road

Article content material

It’s time to go on the street. Like now. Like yesterday.

Article content material

The outdated “we have to get collectively away from residence” cry that you simply hear from NHL groups each season. That is the Maple Leafs’ flip to spend a while in airplanes and lodge lobbies and eating places and possibly a day or two in Winnipeg, simply to get in some early road-trip punishment.

Article content material

This has not been the beginning the Leafs envisioned for this workforce — despite the additional time 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on a sleepy Thursday evening.

Article content material

This isn’t the workforce they consider in. Not but. Not like this.

This can take a while.

The Leafs received a lift of much-needed enthusiasm, of vitality, of desperation, from the child who is just not formally a rookie, Nick Robertson, enjoying his first recreation of the season. The primary recreation of what’s more likely to be a protracted season for Robertson.

Article content material

That was the nice half on an evening of “yeah however” for the Leafs. They gained. That issues. They received the 2 objectives from Robertson, sufferer of the Leafs’ messed-up wage cap circumstance when the season started. They wanted them, as a result of there’s been a nervousness round this workforce from the evening the season started in Montreal.

The Leafs are profitable — properly, if profitable three and dropping two is profitable — and scoring nearly three objectives an evening. Fourteen objectives in 5 video games. They had been the second-leading scoring workforce within the NHL final season, and now they’re someplace in the course of the pack and about to go on a five-game street journey, most of which is west-coast primarily based.

They’ll want the time away to search out themselves, to change into the workforce Sheldon Keefe has talked about them turning into till he’s blue and white within the face, and currently, he’s been near that. Keefe desires to see vitality. He desires his nice gamers to play nice. He desires to regulate the puck and the offence from the within. He has such excessive expectations of a gaggle that hasn’t displayed sufficient via what was thought-about to be a simple early a part of their schedule.

Article content material

The powerful recreation was speculated to be Thursday evening in opposition to Dallas, not the sport a couple of days earlier in opposition to Arizona. Toronto greater than matched a less-than-brilliant Stars workforce on the Scotiabank Area however the outcome was simply tremendous.

How they received there — that wants some work.

Common supervisor Kyle Dubas talked earlier than the season started and earlier than coaching camp started about what he wished from these Leafs. He wished an explosive workforce stuffed with vitality and pace and enthusiasm. He wished a workforce that may problem for the Stanley Cup. He wished a workforce that will sort out the common season with the form of seriousness wanted to arrange for the post-season.

And he wished to see what his high-priced expertise was able to.

Coach Keefe had related aspirations for the Leafs and nonetheless does. However proper now, down one defenceman, down one goaltender, and with the closest to the most effective lineup they’ve had in a while, this isn’t a time for blaming the final supervisor or the coach, which is how sport normally works in Toronto. It’s by no means the participant’s fault round right here.

Article content material

Besides this season is hardly beginning out the best way anybody meant.

Auston Matthews gained the Hart Trophy final season and probably the most helpful participant within the NHL. He earned that and the Rocket Richard and scored 60 objectives and had everybody drooling over what is likely to be doable this time round. Would he rating 60 once more? Would he rating 70? That was pre-season dialog.

After 5 video games, he has one aim.

Mitch Marner has one aim. John Tavares has one aim. Michael Bunting has one aim. The Leafs have change into hockey’s equal-opportunity scorers.

Article content material

Perhaps NHL opponents have damaged down Matthews’ recreation and are enjoying him in a different way. He isn’t getting as many objectives or as many high quality probabilities as he did final yr. It’s doable the pre-scout is working in opposition to him. However he is aware of greater than anybody that he must be higher than this.

This was an uncommon evening for the Leafs. They received their first aim from their second energy play. They received their second and third objectives from Robertson. They received extra offence from Alex Kerfoot than most of their forwards. They received robust play on the second energy play from Rasmus Sandin from the purpose, which implies getting photographs via, which the primary energy play, for no matter motive, doesn’t appear to do.

What’s good after 5 video games is that Ilya Samsonov is unbeaten in three begins. He’s 3-0 with a goals-against-average underneath two. The Leafs haven’t gained when he hasn’t been within the web. Contemplating that Matt Murray will likely be down for some time and Samsonov will likely be requested the carry the load in aim, that bodes considerably enthusiastically for this membership.

It’s one step at a time proper now and a street journey on the best way. Time away from the noise and the early season hysteria is required proper about now. Time to go on the street.

ssimmons@postmedia.com

twitter.com/simmonssteve