The 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night was far from a thing of beauty, but it does guarantee the Toronto Maple Leafs at least a split of back-to-back road games to start the 2013-14 regular season.
The Blue and White face Philadelphia in their home opener at the Wells Fargo Center, with Jonathan Bernier making his first start in net as a Leaf. Former Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason will be between the pipes for the Flyers.
Toronto was not sharp defensively in their first game, which could be written off to early season jitters or getting adjusted to the higher level of effort after playing two weeks of exhibition games, but also could be a warning sign of things to come.
Defenseman Paul Ranger appeared shaky in his first NHL action in four years, but gained confidence and a comfort level later in the game, playing nearly 20 minutes.
Jake Gardiner also struggled, as his defensive miscues led to both of Lars Eller’s goals in the first and third periods.
On a defensive zone faceoff, the slick skating Leafs defenseman strayed from his position to cover a Montreal forward heading towards the net, leaving Eller wide open to direct a Raphael Diaz pass past James Reimer.
Late in the game, Gardiner was caught trying to keep the puck in the Montreal zone at the end of a power-play, allowing Eller to get past him and score on a shorthanded dash that narrowed the lead to 4-3 with less than three minutes left in the third.
For all the jaw dropping skill, skating prowess and offensive talent he displayed in the playoffs last May, Gardiner has to be at least adequate in his own zone to not cancel out his positive qualities.
If he continues to be as dangerous to his own team as he is to the Leafs opponents, it is very possible that it will earn him a seat in the Foster Hewitt Gondola at the ACC, while Randy Carlyle gives Morgan Rielly, Andrew MacWilliam or John-Michael Liles their chance to take his job.
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According to Paul Hendrick of Leafs TV, the only three skaters at the club’s optional skate in Philadelphia Wednesday morning were Reimer, the suspended David Clarkson and Rielly, which would indicate that the only lineup change for tonight will be Bernier in goal.
FORWARDS
James van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Joffrey Lupul – Nazem Kadri – Nikolai Kulemin
Mason Raymond – Dave Bolland – Troy Bodie
Carter Ashton – Jay McClement – Colton Orr
DEFENSE
Dion Phaneuf – Carl Gunnarsson
Mark Fraser – Paul Ranger
Jake Gardiner - Cody Franson
GOALIES
Jonathan Bernier
James Reimer
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Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill on 276 King St. West will be hosting a pregame party featuring former Maple Leafs winger Darcy Tucker and Toronto Argonaut Mike Bradwell.
Come for the pregame party starting at 5pm as Tucker gets fans pumped up for Game 2 and offers his thoughts following the big season opener. Be sure to arrive sporting your team’s jersey and score a couple of autographs from your favorite sport stars – not to mention, a meet-and-greet with the Argos cheerleaders. We’ll also be putting Bradwell in net for slap shot practice.
Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill will be launching “If Your Team Wins, Your Community Wins!” – a community-based competition that rewards local sports teams with points every time they eat at Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill for a chance to win a first-place prize of $20,000 towards a community refresh project. Don’t forget to bring your local sports team to sign-up.
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