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Preseason fun has begun

September 18, 2019, 9:08 AM ET [226 Comments]
Lucas Neilson
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The Leafs were only able to find the back of the net once in their first preseason game in St. Johns against the Senators. It was a good skate for the boys as they worked with some new bodies in the lineup and Babcock got to look at his big offseason pickup in Tyson Barrie. It looks like he’s set on a Muzzin-Barrie combination as they compliment each other.

With that being said it looks like Morgan Rielly will be partnered up with Cody Ceci to start the season.

Marner was on the ice looking speedy and crafty as always. He assisted on the lone goal to Kasperi Kapanen where he fed him in the slot with a nice pass on the tape. Money in the bank. This was also Babcock’s first look at Kapanen on the top line with Tavares and Marner; replacing an injured Zach Hyman.

We know what Hyman brings to the table; grit, fore-check of a wild animal, determination which you can all sum up to hard work. He’s the type of player Babcock lives for, a guy who gives it his all. He’s got a smart hockey mind as well which is a huge part of hockey; I too am a big fan of what Hyman brings to the table. Hopefully Kapanen can do an ace job and continue to blossom on the Leafs as he is flourishing beautifully over the last couple of seasons.

It’s rare I would give praise to “the goat” but he certainly looked hungry last night and has a number of quality scoring chances. Frederik Gauthier was one of the stand out players for the Leafs and you have to wonder if he’s going to earn his shot here and maybe split time with Jason Spezza. Maybe he shifts to the wing and lets Spezza take the draws (like the Leafs signed him for). Seeing what Babcock and the Leafs decide to do here will be quite interesting.

From what I recall Babcock fully wants Spezza to work on his defensive game and they signed him for faceoff wins, penalty kills and fourth line minutes. What if “the goat” is ready to climb the rocky mountain and secure his spot?

Keep an eye on the Spezza/Gauthier scene, there are a few ways it could play out.

The Leafs will play again tonight against the Senators and we should be seeing the combination of Auston Matthews and William Nylander in action. Oh baby!

It’s a long season and the Leafs have a number of preseason games. The result (score) really means nothing so remember that and focus more on the newcomers and the youngsters of the organization and how they are progressing/looking in the blue and white. I’m quite interested in Sandin and how he fares this preseason; I’ve got high hopes for the kid.

I have him pegged in the top 4 as early as next season and a future top pairing defenseman. High hopes? Maybe so; but I’ve see him play with my own eyes and I think he’s a true game changer.

Enjoy tonight’s game!

Thanks for reading.
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