Mikheyev makes case for spot on Tavares line Ritchie does his part in Maple Leafs pre-season win
Author of the article:
Terry KoshanPublishing date:
Oct 05, 2021 • 53 minutes ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Maple Leafs' Mac Hollowell (81) tries to control the puck as forward Ilya Mikheyev blocks out Montreal Canadiens' Mathieu Perreault during the second period at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. Photo by JOHN E. SOKOLOWSKI /USA TODAY SPORTS Article content The spot to captain John Tavares’ left is open.
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Article contentThat was the thinking of Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe on Tuesday morning when he was asked to contemplate how the left wing on the Tavares line might be filled when the regular season begins next week.
“That’s still a question of mine, something I’m looking at,†Keefe said following an optional morning skate. “I don’t know, to be honest, if we’ll have a consistent player there. We’ve got competition and we’ve got different options.â€
Ilya Mikheyev would like to change Keefe’s thinking. Mikheyev got the opportunity to do that on Tuesday night in a pre-season game against the Montreal Canadiens and didn’t let it go to waste.
Mikheyev scored late in the first period, snapping a pass from Tavares past Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault to help put the Leafs on the way to a convincing 6-2 win at Scotiabank Arena.
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Article contentNot only would the goal have served as a confidence boost for Mikheyev, whose knack for finding the back of the net is a battle with consistency, but the third-year Leaf also got a look on the top power-play unit in the place of Auston Matthews.
“I thought the first half of the game he was really good, that line (with Tavares and William Nylander) was really good, right from the first shift, skated well,†Keefe said. “It was a lot of good things happening. I thought the second half of the game was a bit of a throwaway for me, how it went. I didn’t think much of anybody in the second half.â€
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Another viable option for Keefe on the Tavares line is Michael Bunting, who has enjoyed a solid camp.
And then there is Nick Ritchie, who continues to gel with Mitch Marner.
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Article contentRitchie scored a pair of goals in the first period, including one on the power play.
Matthews had to be nodding in approval somewhere when Marner found Ritchie for the Leafs’ first goal at 8:18. Working off the sideboards, Marner eluded a couple of Canadiens and fed Ritchie, who was alone in front of Montembeault and re-directed the pass into the net. Marner’s vision doesn’t need the pre-season to get into gear for the regular season.
Ritchie’s soft hands were evident again when he popped a feed from Nikita Gusev home two minutes later.
“It felt great,†Ritchie said. “(The chemistry with Marner) is really good. I got to skate with him for a few weeks and just how smart of a player he is … things are going well right now.â€
Robertson among those sent down by Maple Leafs ... The north beckons ... Marner gets behind Ho-Sang 
Matthews already a fan of Maple Leafs newcomers Ritchie, Carbery 
Maple Leafs' Mikheyev getting a shot with Tavares and Nylander, but Keefe not married to it Story continues below
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Article content GAME ONKeefe said a “significant†number of cuts were coming, and some were made immediately after the game. Sent to the Toronto Marlies were forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, defencemen Mac Hollowell and Kristians Rubins and goalie Erik Kallgren. Gusev was released from his professional tryout … Petr Mrazek didn’t have much to do in the Leafs net, making 20 saves. A Joel Armia shot bounced past him in the first and he was beaten by Alex Belzile on a screen later in the period … Tavares was buzzing all night and had seven shots on goal. He was 12-4 in the faceoff circle … Mikheyev is a man of many nicknames in the Leafs dressing room â€" Mickey, Soup and the Cobra. The snake reference, believed by Justin Holl to have been coined by Jake Muzzin, comes from the way Mikheyev had to hold his wrist as he recovered from a nasty injury a couple of seasons ago. Said Mikheyev: “I’m scared of snakes. I don’t like it. Sorry.†… Nylander saw some time (two minutes nine seconds) killing penalties. He had 41 seconds on the kill all of last season. “We’re looking at it,†Keefe said. “It’s something we’re trying here. We saw a lot of growth in Will’s game through the second half of last season and through the playoffs, his commitment defensively.†… The Leafs could have something in centre Kirill Semyonov, signed last May to a one-year contract. Not only did he ably fill in for Matthews between Ritchie and Marner, he helped kill penalties. The KHL veteran turns 27 later in October, and his experience could turn out to be a boon for the Leafs, even if Semyonov starts with the Marlies … Yes, it’s only pre-season, and no, the opponents don’t have full lineups. But the manner in which the Leafs are moving the puck on the power play â€" with authority and confidence â€" should bleed into the regular season. Assistant coach Spencer Carbery shouldn’t be seeking a raise just yet, though the early results are encouraging … It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Brennan Menell to come in from the point and deposit a Tavares pass into the net during a Leafs power play in the second, making it 4-2. Menell last season had 38 points in 47 games for Minsk Dinamo, enough for second in scoring among KHL defencemen … Der-Arguchintsev scored late in the second and Brett Seney early in the third … Hard to put into words how great it is to have fans back in the building. Apologies, canned noise, but you don’t compare to the real thing.
tkoshan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/koshtorontosun
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