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TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TSN reporter Kristen Shilton checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The team held an optional morning skate on Wednesday at Air Canada Centre.

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Since Mike Babcock came on board with the Maple Leafs to start the 2015-16 season, Toronto has beaten its Atlantic Division rivals from Ottawa only once.

So even if the Senators are coming off an 8-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, the Leafs’ recent 1-5-3 record against Ottawa doesn’t lend itself to overconfidence.

“Standings might not show it, but they’re a team that’s given us a lot of trouble and they’re a heck of a hockey team,” said Jake Gardiner. “You look at last year’s playoffs, the success they had, [the neutral zone] was a big part of their system. It’s probably not going the way they hoped this season, but it’s something that works. If teams try to skate through the middle and turn the puck over, it’s going to be a long night.”

The Senators are 16 points behind the Leafs in the Atlantic, with three games in hand. When the teams first met earlier this season, Ottawa jumped all over Toronto early and kept them from establishing much rhythm in a 6-3 Sens’ win. The Leafs have made a bad habit out of turning pucks over all season, and against Ottawa more than anyone, Toronto pays for it over and over.

“I think just structure wise, the way they play, the way they congest the neutral zone, and make teams turn over pucks, that’s really one of their strengths,” said Nazem Kadri. “And they try to frustrate teams so tonight it going to be about staying patient and just waiting for your opportunities.”

Trying to wait a team out didn’t work too well for the Leafs in their most recent game. On Monday Toronto sat back in the final minutes against the Columbus Blue Jackets and quickly watched their 2-0 lead evaporate, eventually falling 3-2 in overtime.

With the Senators playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Leafs would like to do a better job exploiting their tired legs than they did against Columbus (who also came into Air Canada Centre for their second game in two nights). Knowing how stingy the Senators’ game plan will be to slow down the high-octane Leafs, early pressure may generate Toronto’s best chances.

“I think just that they don’t give you too much, so it’s one of the keys tonight – being able to get through the neutral zone and get in and have some grind time down low in their zone,” said Patrick Marleau. “Any time you have a tough loss like [they did], you want to have a good, solid game and that’s what we’re going to expect from them tonight.”

For their part, coming to Toronto never gets old for the Senators. With half their season left to play, Ottawa isn’t losing sight of a potential recovery in the standings just yet.

“One hundred per cent [you’re excited],” said Derrick Brassard. “[We’re] division rivals. They’re playing some good hockey; they’re one of the top teams in their division. We’re trying to chase them so I think it starts tonight.”

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When words like “embarrassing” and “ugly” are used to describe a loss, it’s usually not easy to quickly dispatch the result from players’ minds.

But that’s exactly what the Senators have to do after Tuesday’s defeat, and they’re grateful for the opportunity to wipe the slate clean against Toronto.

“We’re playing tonight, so if we had played in a couple days it would be harder to forget about that [last] one,” Brassard said. “But we have to turn the page and focus on those guys, so it’s not going to be any easier. We just have to have a good game plan and make sure we’re competing for 60 minutes.”

Their first period against Chicago was strong, but when Ottawa couldn’t capitalize on what chances they did create, the visitors took it to them in a brutal second period they didn’t recover from.

“We did some good things in that first period. We didn’t have a ton of shots on net but we had seven shots, I bet we had four or five Grade-A opportunities,” said Matt Duchene. “So, you get one early and you never know what might have changed. It’s what followed for us that was the problem.”

Going into Tuesday’s debacle, the Senators were on a high, having beaten the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning on back-to-back nights late last week. While it made playing as poorly as they did against Chicago a frustrating turn of events, it isn’t one head coach Guy Boucher is going to let define his team.

“We won the two previous games and we looked great. We looked great in the first period yesterday,” he said. “…For us, it’s a day-to-day thing and for us, we’re playing Toronto today.”

Ottawa will take on the Leafs without winger Bobby Ryan, who injured his hand in Tuesday’s loss. He didn’t travel with the team, and the Sens recalled Filip Chlapik to replace him. Chlapik has one assist in six NHL games this season.

“Just have to make sure we’re on the same page,” said Brassard. “That’s something we did well against San Jose and Tampa. …We just have to forget about last night and we’re looking forward to tonight.”

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In what’s shaping up to be a month of firsts for Leafs’ rookie defenceman Travis Dermott – first NHL game, first NHL point – he’ll experience another on Wednesday when he’s a healthy scratch for the first time as a Leaf.

Connor Carrick will step back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Monday. Prior to that game, it was rookie Andreas Borgman who was a healthy scratch on Saturday against Vancouver.

Dermott coming out is all part of the plan for Babcock.

“The coach has the right to change his mind any time he wants, but those guys are in a rotation for two spots,” he said.

With Nikita Zaitsev projected to return to the ice sometime after the Leafs return from their bye week next Monday, Babcock will have a decision to make about where Dermott fits in long-term with the Leafs and whether he’ll get enough ice time at this level to continue developing.

Babcock said he’d decide whether Dermott will return to the American Hockey League for the bye week (and potentially beyond) after Wednesday’s game.

“I like a lot of things about him. Number one, he was drafted a Leaf,” said Babcock. “I think your own drafts end up as a tattoo on the good organizations. The second thing I’d say, he skates really good, he trains like [Connor] Brown and [Zach] Hyman, he’s in the gym all summer, so that means he’s going to get better because he’s committed. He’s got good hockey sense. Now he’s just got to get ready for the league.”

Dermott has one assist in his first two NHL games.

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Practice lines:

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Komarov
van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner
Martin-Gauthier-Brown

Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Carrick
Borgman-Polak

Andersen
McElhinney