GREAT GRIT: Maple Leafs dig deep in opening win over Canadiens

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As a lot because the Maple Leafs want flash, it’s their blue collar and goaltending that can make the distinction.

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Lack of these damage them in playoffs in opposition to Montreal final 12 months and so placing that stamp on their home-opening effort Wednesday versus the identical foe in a full home was a should.

A brand new-look grinder line of Pierre Engvall, Ondrej Kase and David Kampf was an element as have been key shot blocks by Kampf and Justin Holl in a tense 1:40 third-period 5-on-3 penalty kill that aided Jack Campbell in preserving a 2-1 win.

Engvall’s purpose and the winner by William Nylander delighted 18,493 followers, who got here alive within the third with the large kill and one other minor to Nylander. Near 600 days had elapsed since Scotiabank Area was full, whereas in that span, two playoff sequence led to defeat in the identical constructing with principally synthetic crowd noise. Though virtually half of the gamers on each groups from Recreation 7 are at the moment injured or have moved on, there was heavy symbolism in popping out sturdy in opposition to the Habs within the first of Toronto’s three video games in 4 days.

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Campbell, who endured a troublesome summer time for his function within the playoff letdown, made seven principally troublesome early saves from a mixture of dangerous bounces and mates’ miscues earlier than Jonathan Drouin scored on a 2-on-1. It was a triumph for Drouin after time away from the sport final 12 months coping with private anxiousness points.

Coach Sheldon Keefe doesn’t need the Leafs utilizing Auston Matthews’ three-game absence with a therapeutic wrist as an excuse and made positive to say in his morning transient how nicely the workforce normally performs when he’s been out and that numerous line adjustments in observe and exhibitions up to now ready the workforce for line juggling.

John Tavares, the final to be launched pre-game to the loudest cheer, moved to Matthews’ spot with Mitch Marner and newcomer Nick Ritchie.

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The road had its early possibilities on Jake Allen, however not till after two energy performs floundered and so they trailed, did the home get to rock as Engvall scored simply as an Alexander Romanov penalty was ending, Ritchie offering the display screen. Engvall, with three pre-season objectives, hit the put up from in tight to open the second interval and labored nicely establishing Czechs Kase and Kampf.

The Leafs’ mantra via September was to not brush off what occurred within the playoffs however to channel their frustration into one thing optimistic.

“Guys have been pissed off and we got here to camp to work, not simply undergo the motions,” defenceman Jake Muzzin stated earlier than the sport. “There was a little bit anger in some guys and we’re going to want that the entire season.”

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“All our gamers have a further edge to them,” Keefe added. “I’ve been capitalizing on that. The primary day of camp was very troublesome and taxing on them, however they needed it that manner, to get out in entrance of that. They’ve come collectively as a workforce and been very business-like via camp.”

The coach was additionally relying on the return of true home-ice benefit Wednesday and going ahead.

“We’ve got plenty of guys who haven’t performed a regular-season recreation in entrance of their household (together with himself),” Keefe reminded. “It’s an enormous deal. The season is so lengthy, it’s essential to have that household connection.”

The duty might be to maintain momentum.

“We simply need extra,   extra effort, rising extra, bettering in each space we will,” defenceman Morgan Rielly stated. “But it surely’s a protracted season and it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if we will carry that over 82 video games.”

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