Maple Leafs keeping focus on ice in first game vs. Dubas' Penguins

PITTSBURGH — The Toronto Maple Leafs may be facing a team run by an old friend on Saturday, but here-and-now issues are more top of mind as they prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As it happens, both Toronto and the Penguins squad now run by former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas are coming off performances they’re not overly proud of. The Pens — already in a dogfight to grab one of the playoff spots that eluded them last season — blew a 2-0 third-period lead in Buffalo on Friday night, while the Leafs watched a 3-1 advantage in Chicago against the lightweight Blackhawks turn into a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday afternoon.

“I think we’ve got to clean up some areas and just be a lot cleaner in details of the game and not give teams a chance to hang around,” said veteran Leafs D-man Mark Giordano on Saturday ahead of the Pens tilt. “I think we did a lot of good things [in Chicago], we controlled a lot of the play, but then mistakes — mental mistakes — are costing us.”

Don’t expect any grace in Pittsburgh. The year started with a major sense of urgency coming off the team’s first non-playoff showing since 2006. The setback versus the Sabres — despite Sidney Crosby’s 13^th goal of the year — marked the Penguins’ fourth loss in five games and dropped the team, which is looking way up at the final Eastern Conference playoff berths, below .500 at 9-10-0.

“We know we’re going up against a real highly skilled team, a lot of veteran guys over there who’ve been through a lot, so they know what it takes to win,” Giordano said. “And, yeah, a lot of desperation. I don’t think either team was too happy with the way yesterday went.”

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe certainly wasn’t pleased with how things unfolded. In particular, the Buds’ top trio of Auston Matthews between Mitch Marner and rookie Matthew Knies failed to deliver, turning pucks over that lead to a couple Chicago goals.

Marner, specifically, has not shown the elite two-way form the club has come to depend on.

“Just not executing at the level that you’d expect from Mitch,” Keefe said. “At times he’s had it. I thought after being challenged after the second period last night that that line — and Mitch in particular — had a better third period, showed some positive signs. But, no doubt, Mitch hasn’t found his groove here yet.

“They’re not making plays; plays are just dying on their sticks.”

Keefe — who said the team won’t make any final lineup decisions for the Penguins game until the warmup — remains measured in his assessment of the first unit, noting they have responded when prodded at different times — including versus the Minnesota Wild in Sweden — in the season. He’s also mindful of the fact that there are two sides of the coin when it comes to Knies. On one hand, he’s got a dream assignment skating beside two star players. On the other, he’s still a first-year NHLer with a lot to adapt to.

“Tough situation for a young guy,” Keefe said. “He’s trying to learn the league; he’s trying to get the puck to good players. It’s really just simplifying. Work. Compete. Be physical. Get the puck on and off your stick quickly, whether that’s a quick pass or a quick shot, move it really quickly.

“[Also], as good a season as [William Nylander] has had and as good as the [second] line has been, we’ve yet to play against a team that doesn’t give the hardest matchups to the Matthews line.” 

While Keefe said this game feels like any other despite it being the first between Toronto and Pittsburgh since Dubas moved to the Pens and Brad Treliving took over the GM spot with the Leafs, he did acknowledge the unique role the former has played in his career as a coach.

It was Dubas who tapped Keefe to coach the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds over a decade ago before having a big hand in Keefe joining the Maple Leafs organization with the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies in 2015.

Keefe said he’s still regularly in touch with his old pal, but the interaction is mostly centred on what each guy’s kids are up to.

“Huge, obviously,” said Keefe when asked about the impact of Dubas in his professional life. “He gave me my first break in terms of an opportunity to coach in the OHL. We’ve both grown a lot working together, clearly [I] wouldn’t be here today without his faith that he put in me. I like to think that I helped him, at the same time, a little bit along the way. I think it was just a good relationship that we had to push and challenge one another. [I’m] forever grateful for all that he’s done, but he’s on the other side here now and I’ve enjoyed the process of working with [Treliving] here.”