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The winless Toronto Maple Leafs (0-2) take on the Ottawa Senators (1-0) in the first 2015-16 edition of the Battle of Ontario.

The Maple Leafs have only scored one goal over their first two games of the season, and are looking challenged in the finishing department — there were a number of point-blank, grade ‘A’ chances they were unable to finish off vs. Montreal and again vs. Detroit.

There might not appear to be much to be positive about with this Leafs team, but the coaching staff has done a good job to date instilling the beginnings of a positive puck possession system that, at even strength, allows the Leafs good looks at the net and enough zone time.

With regard to special teams usage and tactics, the power play has looked much better in terms of movement, passing seams and shooting lanes. The Leafs are moving the puck faster and having some success getting shots through. On the penalty kill, the Leafs look good structurally, but they’re running at 80% kill rate so it hasn’t shown up in the results yet. It’s too early to make predictions or evaluations, but, hey, that’s what we do around here.

It will be a game time decision, but it looks like one or both of Michael Grabner and Roman Polak will draw in for the Leafs. Officially, it’s because of a mystery injury—or mysteries—on the team, but the coaching staff and management can’t be happy with some of the performance versus Detroit.

Mark Acrobello, for example, had great possession numbers but was killing momentum swings all on his own and was turning the puck over frequently. Martin Marincin looked to be swimming upstream the whole game and was making poorly timed pinches—and on the wrong side of the ice, in one instance—and wasn’t a sound partner for Morgan Rielly, who was trying to generate offence for a team gripping their sticks tightly, making a number of errors of his own in the process.

Senators head coach Dave Cameron has united Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone on a line together to begin the season; they combined for both goals in their season oepner against Buffalo, and were dangerous almost every shift.
Ottawa is running a top heavy defence corps with Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot, and there should be opportunities to take advantage of Mark Borowiecki and Jared Cowen, whom, to my eye, are one of the worst bottom pairings in the league. The Leafs’ fourth line should be able to generate some good zone time against this pairing, as both have slow feet and poor puck skills.

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