Mike Babcock’s plan to mix his bag of M & Ms — Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews — is still murky.
At Sunday’s practice, ahead of Monday’s home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the coach said the duo would likely be together 5-on-5, but hinted not necessarily for the entire game, as was the case Saturday against Boston. Excellent as a power-play tandem, they had their moments against the Bruins and in 3-on-3 overtime helped set up Morgan Rielly’s winner. With John Tavares out a couple of weeks with a broken finger, it would seem as good a time as any to experiment.
“When they’ve (played together), I haven’t said to myself ‘geez this has got to be perfect,’” Babcock said. “We haven’t tried that because we’ve had two centres that we can try and spread people round. We’ll do whatever helps us win. We had lots of groups together last night and probably different groups tomorrow when we get a feel of what’s going on in the game.”
Matthews, the centre, and Marner, the right winger, indicate they want the chance to go far beyond their fancy puck tricks as the last Leafs to exit the ice after warm-ups.
“It’s not our say, I guess we leave it up to Babs,” Marner said. “When we have played, we’ve been responsible, created opportunities on the offensive side and, defensively speaking, we don’t give a lot.
“I think he’s (trying to) balance out the lines. All our lines have a lot of skill in them, can score and have good defence. We don’t get to play a lot so you want to do the best you can, create opportunities and shut down offences, and play more games together.”
Babcock agrees both have improved defensively, which helps their cause. Matthews predicts they’d become more in tune if used regularly.
“You play with different guys for a period of time and chemistry grows. But it seems to be that when we’re together it clicks right away,” he said.
FUNNY FREDDY
Frederik Andersen, expected to start in goal Monday, would be appearing in his 200th game as a Leaf. Only 12 other goalies in franchise history have done that.
“I guess (time) goes fast when you’re having fun,” Andersen said of the milestone. “I’ve enjoyed my (three-plus years) here a lot. I’m pretty comfortable, enjoying the process of becoming as good as possible. What I’ve been trying to enjoy is coming to the rink and having fun, the most important thing to being successful here.”
Andersen is reserved with the media, but is a member of the team’s designated leadership group and we’re told is a wit behind closed doors.
“He’s a funny guy, he moved into my building this year so we spent a lot of time together,” Matthews said.
A dry sense of humour?
“Dry like the Sahara,” agreed Matthews.
UNDER TWO FLAGS
Dmytro Timashov is undecided where the puck from his first NHL goal will go after he beat Jaroslav Halak on Saturday.
“I’ll send it back to Sweden — or keep it in my room,” the 23-year-old winger said.
Now that he’s in the NHL, Sweden and Ukraine can both claim him as a native son, born in the latter, but raised in the former after his parents split and his mother met his Swedish stepfather who taught Timashov to skate. Timashov is listed as the first NHLer to come from the independent Ukraine.
“The NHL posted the flags of all the players, I saw one Ukrainian and I thought ‘that’s me’. It’s special to be the only one.
“I grew up in both countries. I can’t pick. In the summer I’m in Sweden, then I go to Ukraine for a week. But I live in Stockholm and my family is there.”
BLUE-AND-WHITE BALLOTS
Pat Burns used to rouse Leafs players to vote at election time when he coached the team and Babcock hopes they’ll exercise their right, too.
“Yes, a hundred per cent, if you believe in something,” Babcock said. “I think it’s important when you live in a country where they let you have an opinion.”
He’ll be registering his vote by Monday night, even though the Leafs have a game.
“I’m really political,” he laughed, “I’m just not allowed to (say it).”
LOOSE LEAFS
Toronto has had one power play in the past 125 minutes. “Next question,” was Babcock’s answer, not wishing to go down that potential expansive road … Winger Andreas Johnsson was not at practice Sunday, but Babcock was confident he’d play after a painful shot block in the leg against Boston … Rielly, who is logging a lot of ice time lately with back-to-back games coming up, worked out off the ice … Tavares came out after the Leafs departed for a session with skating instructor Barb Underhill and player development coach Hayley Wickenheiser.
lhornby@postmedia.com
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October 21, 2019 at 04:51AM
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