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The Maple Leafs wrap up the 2024 preseason with their close-to-full NHL lineup — sans Jake McCabe, Nick Robertson, and Calle Jarnkrok — as Conor Timmins appears to have the edge on Timothy Liljegren for the final opening-night right defense spot (7:00 p.m. EST, TSN4).

Game Day Quotes

Craig Berube on Conor Timmins’ camp: 

He has played well. He has been highly competitive. First and foremost, when playing defense, you have to defend and be competitive, but I like the puck movement. He sees the ice well and moves the puck well.

Conor Timmins on how he’s been able to work his way into the top six on defense:

I have just been worried about playing my own game. I think it fits well into the system, just playing hard and fast and moving pucks up. It has been a good fit so far.

It is pretty simple for me. I just have to move the puck fast. We want to play fast.

I have put a lot of work into my defensive game, and I think it has become a strong suit of mine. I am just looking to continue to build on that.

Berube on his expectations for the team tonight:

Play with structure, play our systems, do the things we have been working on all of camp, and play the right way.

Max Pacioretty on the importance of the final preseason game:

Now, it is time to get serious. Not to say that the last five games weren’t serious, but now it is time to start feeling good about your game — and not just the points but the little details that make your team successful. You want to prove your identity with a new coach and in a new organization — for me, personally — right away. Tonight is about cleaning up those little details of the game.

Pacioretty on the progress of his game throughout camp: 

Alright. A couple of tough scenarios, but it’s not bad. I definitely have a lot to improve on tonight in the little areas of the game, like holding onto pucks. That is where I am at my best: grinding teams down and defensemen down and using my body. I think I can be much better at that.

Berube on the Domi – Tavares – Nylander line:

Well, Tie is a… Sorry, I mean Max. I am a buddy of Tie’s, so he is in my head a lot. I have called Max Tie a few times.

Max is a really good passer. We all know that. Willy can score goals and shoot. You have Johnny T there in the middle.

Really, we have a few guys on the line who can take faceoffs and play down low, which is great. Just watching Willy out there on draws, he is good on the faceoff circle, which is important.

I feel it is a good combination. A lot of speed on the wings, and a lot of work by #91 in the middle of the ice, especially around the net. He is good there, scores goals there, and wins battles there.

I feel it could be a good line that has speed on the wings, playmaking ability, and shooting.

Berube on the biggest surprise of camp:

I am not sure surprise is the word. I knew Robertson was skilled, fast, and could shoot, but what surprised me about his work in camp so far is that his work ethic and competitiveness have been excellent.

To me, that is what is going to make him a really good player in this league. His shooting skill and skating will take over, but it is the competitiveness and winning of the battles that he’s done.

Berube on Pacioretty’s contributions in camp:

He is experienced for sure. A big guy who is strong on pucks. In the last game, he did a great job down low on some plays and drew a few penalties because he was strong on pucks and winning battles on the wall.

He has the ability to score goals. He has scored a lot of goals in this league with his shot, but I think he can be a really good player winning battles on the wall and hanging onto pucks in the offensive zone. That is how we want to play. We want to have o-zone time, hang onto pucks, and wear teams down. He can do those things for us.

Berube on Pontus Holmberg’s camp and capability at center ice:

I am very impressed. He has great hockey IQ. He has been highly competitive in the battles and winning battles, and he makes subtle little plays from the middle of the ice. Very reliable defensively.

Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines

Forwards
#23 Matthew Knies — #34 Auston Matthews — #16 Mitch Marner
#11 Max Domi — #91 John Tavares — #88 William Nylander
#67 Max Pacioretty — #29 Pontus Holmberg — #74 Bobby McMann
#18 Steven Lorentz — #64 David Kampf — #75 Ryan Reaves

Defensemen
#44 Morgan Rielly — #8 Chris Tanev
#95 Oliver Ekman-Larsson — #51 Philippe Myers
#2 Simon Benoit — #25 Conor Timmins

Goaltenders
#60 Joseph Woll (full 60)
#41 Anthony Stolarz

Injured: Calle Jarnkrok, Jake McCabe

Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines

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