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Matt Murray wanted to be challenged in his first pre-season game, but not at the expense of Maple Leafs defencemen falling faster than autumn foliage.
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Toronto’s projected No. 1 goalie played a chunk of his first 40 minutes of Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Montreal with two forwards moved to the blueline. Jordie Benn left after three shifts with a groin injury and Carl Dahlstrom left late in the first period with a bad shoulder.
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Add that duo to Timothy Liljegren (hernia), Jake Muzzin (back) and the contract stalemate of Rasmus Sandin.
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“We don’t know the full extent, but both guys will miss time,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe, who a day earlier was told centre John Tavares will be out three weeks with an oblique muscle issue. “It sucks to see it happening as frequent as it has been, but it’s part of the game.
“In the meantime, there’s lots of opportunity and a great showing from all our guys today.”
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On that note, Keefe called it a “fun” evening, turning forwards Alex Kerfoot and Calle Jarnkrok into defencemen, while Murray debuted with 16 saves, Erik Kallgren completed the shutout and Scotiabank Arena held an evening-long love-in for special guests from Team Canada ’72.
“I had a blast,” Murray insisted. “Calle and Kerf stepping in, making breakout passes, it’s like they weren’t missing a beat. Pretty impressive. I can’t believe how seamless they were.
“Guys were blocking shots, we had a good penalty kill. I wanted to make the most out of tonight, putting the jersey on the first time, getting my feet wet. It was a while since I played in a game.”
An added thrill was Team Canada goalie and Hall of Famer Ken Dryden coming down to talk to him for a couple of minutes. Murray was also credited with an assist on Nick Robertson’s opening goal.
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Keefe didn’t want to tax his remaining four defencemen too much in a nothing game, so figuring Kerfoot and Jarnkrok were defensively-conscious centres, he thought they were ideal candidates.
“They made it look too easy,” chirped Morgan Rielly, who was partnered with the Swede, while Kerfoot joined TJ Brodie, leaving Mark Giordano and Victor Mete to skate together.
The forwards Keefe did keep together worked well, particularly newcomers and youngsters who needed a big night as Toronto improved its exhibition record to 2-1.
Robertson took a Giordano breakout pass and beat Samuel Montembeault short side, though he got so revved up he made some defensive mistakes that Keefe had to address.
Pontus Holmberg pulled one puck that was dribbling over Murray’s goal line in the middle period while centring William Nylander and Denis Malgin, the latter scoring on the power play from Kerfoot and Alex Steeves, while Nick Abruzzese tapped another in the third with the extra man from Nylander and Malgin. Robertson needs a breakout camp with many more experienced players brought in for a look
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“It was a really good game for Nick, getting involved in the goal. (Montreal) wasn’t reflective of an NHL roster (Wednesday), but there are NHL players over there and we’re still looking for guys to stand out, even AHL guys in an NHL building.
“Everything is amplified and you’re still looking for them to step up and separate themselves. There was Nick, Steeves and I thought Bobby McMann had his best game today. There was Joey Anderson, but it’s a big roster of guys and I don’t want to leave anyone out.”
McMann is barely two years removed from two of the ECHL’s most remote destinations, Newfoundland and Wichita. The second-highest goal scorer on the AHL Marlies last year, with 24 to Anderson’s 26, he was under the bright lights for a nationally televised game between the league’s two oldest rivals.
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Keefe has been talking up the 6-foot-1 winger through camp and started him on a prospects’ line with Abruzzese and Steeves.
“I like the journey I’ve come on, this organization likes you to earn your spot,” McMann said in the morning.
McMann signed a two-year AHL contract. But there will likely be cuts after Friday’s next game in Belleville against Ottawa. Though Kallgren has also played well, Murray and Ilya Samsonov, who also is 16-for-16 in saves, are expected to get the most work in the four remaining games before opening night in Montreal.
Neither team dressed an ‘A’ lineup, though Montreal used No. 1 overall draft pick, right winger Juraj Slafkovsky, who played Monday in Montreal’s 2-1 loss to New Jersey.
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Wednesday also kicked off an unplanned audition phase for opening night second-line centre in the wake of Tavares’s three-week absence with a strained oblique (pelvic) muscle.
Kerfoot, who’s started at left wing, and the scratched David Kampf, are the in-house favourites to see some time in the middle. Jarnkrok will also get a shot, either now or should injuries down the middle occur during the year while he’s playing either wing.
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