Game 1 and Game 2 were fun to watch after a long layoff from hockey and months of front office news. It’s always nice to see and talk about players playing actual games.
The team is going through a reformation process with regards to systems play and defensive accountability, and you could see signs of it with both teams yesterday. While pre-season hockey is sloppy and full of flubbed passes and broken play, the determination both squads played with has to remain a constant. Relying on opportunistic offense to offset indifferent defensive play has been a failing tradition of the Maple Leafs over the past three seasons.