TORONTO – When Randy Carlyle kicked up his feet at the cottage this summer and started thinking ahead to the season, there’s no way he ever envisioned icing a Toronto Maple Leafs lineup that looked like this one.
Especially not for a home opener that featured a big division rival at Air Canada Centre and two important points on the line.
Yet when the veteran coach filled out his lineup on Saturday night he wrote down the names of three players who would make their NHL debuts against Ottawa: Morgan Rielly, Jamie Devane and Spencer Abbott. Truth be told, he had little choice. With injuries mounting and David Clarkson’s suspension not yet half over, the Leafs are already in triage mode.
“How many times do those plans in June and July get thrown out the window in October?” Carlyle said wistfully after the morning skate.
Fortunately, he was also able to write down the names of two newcomers who each have more than 300 NHL games played on their resumes – a notably high amount on this young roster. And after watching Mason Raymond and David Bolland shine in a thrill-a-minute 5-4 shootout victory over the Senators, it’s clear that both veteran forwards have already started earning the trust of their new coach.
Of Raymond, Carlyle said he had a player with “world-class speed and world-class skills.” He noted that Bolland gave him a committed and proven professional that “leads by example” for younger teammates.
Their collective versatility also arms the coach with options – something that was much needed in the second straight game where Carlyle juggled his forward lines. It was fitting that they teamed up for the first goal of the season at Air Canada Centre, with Bolland sliding a nice backhand pass over to Raymond four minutes in, a marker that ended up being nearly forgotten by the end of a wild night.
Once Ottawa went ahead 4-2 just over midway through the game, Bolland and Raymond found themselves on a newly minted second line with Joffrey Lupul. As a result, they were thrown over the boards repeatedly as Carlyle shortened his bench considerably.
It was no surprise that by the end of the evening they had earned more ice time than they received in victories over Montreal and Philadelphia earlier this week. Raymond also capped a three-point performance by beating Craig Anderson with a spin-o-rama move in the shootout.
It was an encouraging outing for two men still trying to find their place on a new team. The fact that they showed they can be counted on in a pinch should certainly help that process along, especially as the Leafs continue to move forward with a patchwork lineup.
So far, Carlyle’s message has been clear.
“If you’re playing hard you’re going to play,” said Bolland. “That’s the way it should be. You respect that. The way he does his coaching, if you’re not going hard you’ll be sitting on the bench.”
For Raymond, it’s been nice knowing exactly where he stands. On a day where former Leaf and current Senator Clarke MacArthur criticized Carlyle’s coaching style, Raymond applauded him for his passion.
The 28-year-old attended Toronto’s training camp on a tryout and is already being counted on like a core member of the team. His $1-million salary will be money well spent if that continues.
“I’m learning,” said Raymond. “To be honest, everything’s different than it was in Vancouver.”
Perhaps what is most interesting of all about Bolland and Raymond is where they’ve come from. It wasn’t all that long ago that they were part of hockey’s most intense rivalry while playing for the Blackhawks and Canucks, respectively.
The three playoff clashes and numerous intense regular-season games once pitted them in adversarial role. Now they have stalls side by side in the Toronto locker-room and are setting one another up for key goals.
“Call it what you want I guess, but you become quick teammates and become quick friends,” said Raymond.
“We’ve had some good battles back in the day,” he added. “He’s a heck of a player. He’s won two Stanley Cups, he’s done it all. It’s enjoyable to play with him.”
That has proven to be good news for the Leafs so far.
A 3-0 start to the regular season wouldn’t have been possible without them – or the work of another newcomer, goalie Jonathan Bernier, who was strong in relief of James Reimer on Saturday night. While the Leafs have shown defensive flaws so far, they’ve been able to lean on the experience of some new faces to overcome them.
That alone has given Carlyle some reason to smile.
“Coaches aren’t here to cut up wins,” he said. “Let’s not overanalyze. … We still found a way to get two points so we’ll take that and move on.”
For now, with this lineup, that is more than good enough.