LEAFS NOTES: “We have a lot to prove … but we’re a confident bunch,” Rielly says

GRAVENHURST — Morgan Rielly wouldn’t mind speeding up the clock.

His Maple Leafs teammates might agree. 

A lengthy, intense practice at the Centennial Centre on Thursday afternoon brought an end to the Leafs’ trip to Muskoka, and if only the start of the regular season was next up. But there’s a pair of pre-season games against the Detroit Red Wings to get through this weekend.

The Leafs, who are going to use something close to their opening-night roster against the Wings on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, are ready to get the regular season going. The biggest hope on Saturday, other than to get a final strong performance from goaltender Matt Murray, will be to emerge from the game without any injuries.

“We came up here and we had two really good days, it was extremely competitive,” Rielly said. “We’re getting close to go-time, and you can tell that we’re excited and we’re anxious to start playing.”

And once the fun gets real next on Wednesday in Montreal against the Canadiens, followed by the home opener 24 hours later versus the Washington Capitals, the Leafs’ aim won’t be in doubt. 

The quest to right the playoff wrongs in the recent past will start in earnest. 

“We have a lot of work to do, we have a lot to prove,” Rielly said. “We don’t have anything to kind of brag about, but I think we’re a confident bunch.

“This can be a really good team, if we buy in, play structured. It has to start somewhere. It has been a good camp, and I think we’re in a good position now to get rolling.”

The Leafs didn’t need much convincing on the part of coach Sheldon Keefe and his staff to buy in, considering the crispness, for the most part, that the players have exhibited every day since camp began.

“We’ve talked about it a lot, but it takes action to prove it,” Rielly said. “You can talk about it and we tell people all the right things, but it takes action and it takes time, takes games, takes competition to to prove where you’re at.”

POWER BUNTS

With captain John Tavares out, Michael Bunting has been getting an opportunity with the top power-play unit. 

It’s a natural fit for Bunting, in working with linemates Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, when the Leafs have a man advantage.

“My role is still the same — get in front of the net and make those little plays and retrieve pucks,” Bunting said. “That’s what I plan on doing.”

There is one obvious adjustment for as long as Tavares is recovering from an oblique strain.

“The biggest difference is the (lack of) faceoff presence, both in John’s ability to win the draw, but also when John takes the draw, it allows Auston to be more of in a shooting position,” Keefe said. “If Auston ends up taking a lot more faceoffs, there’s a difference there. But in terms of the net front and the entry routes, we think Mike can fit in well that way.”

LOOSE LEAFS

Keefe was asked for his opinion on the continuously growing controversy surrounding Hockey Canada. “I know the NHL has its own investigation, but it’s obvious and fair to say that there needs to be some answers and no one is happy with the things that have been reported,” Keefe said. “I’ll just leave it at that.” … Neither Tavares nor defenceman Timothy Liljegren (hernia surgery) skated on Thursday, and Keefe said the day off for both was planned. Each is expected to be on the ice on Friday … What kind of growth does Alex Kerfoot expect to see this season in the Matthews line? “I would never rule out anything with those guys,” Kerfoot said. “They’re pretty dynamic and they’re as good as it gets in this game right now. It’s special what they did last year, and I wouldn’t put any limits on what they could do this year.” … Former Capital Ilya Samsonov, when asked whether Alex Ovechkin or Matthews has a better shot: “I say Auston Matthews right now,” Samsonov said with a smile … If, as expected, Nick Abruzzese begins the season with the Toronto Marlies, the young forward won’t take it as a negative. Abruzzese got his feet wet in the NHL last season when he played in nine games with the Leafs after two seasons at Harvard, but it was clear then that he would benefit from an apprenticeship in the American Hockey League. “That’s the second-best league in the world, probably, so it’s still an extremely high level of competition,” Abruzzese said recently. “Whatever happens, I’ll try to continue to grow and get better. There’s still a lot I can work on my game.” Playing for the Marlies will reunite Abruzzese with coach Greg Moore, who was Abruzzese’s coach with the Chicago Steel of the USHL in 2018-19 … The latest odds at BetOnline have Connor McDavid the favourite to win the Hart Trophy, though Matthews is not far off. McDavid is 13/5 to be named the NHL’s most valuable player, while Matthews is 4/1 … Several Leafs will be at Covenant House on Monday to serve Thanksgiving meals to at-risk youth.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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   Maple Leafs using quick getaway the right way

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   Enthusiastic practice crowd puts an extra hop in Maple Leafs' step