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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs and Blackhawks skated at the Air Canada Centre on Monday ahead of their game.

* The Leafs and Blackhawks have both scored a whopping 15 goals in two games this season so perhaps it was unsurprising that players on both sides were talking about defence ahead of their showdown in Toronto. "We want to get back to what we’re known for: playing tighter defensively," said Morgan Rielly. "Yeah, they scored 15, but they only allowed two and we've allowed more than that (seven) so we have a job to do.” 

- Patrick Kane has led the way for the Blackhawks with six points. What is he expecting tonight? "I don’t know," he said with a smile. "You always see these (games between) high-scoring teams and sometimes everyone’s so focused defensively that they end up being 2-1, 1-0 games. I’m sure it’ll be entertaining either way ... The biggest thing is trying to have a defence-first mentality and then turn that into offence and transition the other way. Usually we have our better games when we’re thinking defence first instead of creating.”

* The comparison between how the Blackhawks built their championship teams and how the Leafs are building now is nothing new and Chicago's star sniper expects that to be a source of inspiration for the would-be heirs in the home dressing room. 

“They’re an up-and-coming team and I’m sure they want to prove themselves," said Kane. "But we’re kind of in the same boat, too. We’ve had two good games, let’s prove ourselves against a good team again tonight.”

“When I was younger and watching them win Cups it was inspiring," said Rielly. "I mean, a group of younger guys who came together and did something special. We want to be able to do something like they did. But we’re not going to be asking for autographs. We’re going to go out and try and win a game.”

- Auston Matthews smiled when asked about the Hawks great run in recent years. “Yeah, you guys love making the comparison with Chicago," he said. Does he take it as a compliment? “We haven’t really done anything yet so I think they’re just a good example for us and where we want to be very soon.”

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville believes Toronto's six-game loss to the Capitals last spring will help accelerate the process. 

“The learning curve of playing the right way and learning how to win is something they got, the experience they got last year making the playoffs. They’re in a real bright spot and it’s a fun team to watch," Quenneville said. “It’s fun being in the situation where they’re in, but I’m not complaining about the situation we’re in.”

* Matthews, Rielly and Kane all attended a skills camp hosted by Leafs player development consultant Darryl Belfry during the summer. Matthews watched Kane closely and picked up some habits he hopes will help him in his sophomore season.

“Just seeing him for those couple days, he’s one of the hardest workers on the ice," Matthews noted, "(he) loves to stick around after practice and work on different things as well as in the gym so that’s something that was pretty eye-opening for me ... definitely one of my favourite players to watch and see what he does and translate it into my game. He’s been an unbelievable role model for a lot of American kids.”

What stood out to Kane? "Not only his shot and his quick release, but the way he battles for pucks," he said. 

"I guess, the biggest thing you notice off the ice is how big he is, he’s (20)-years-old but he’s got a man’s body so it was pretty impressive watching him and skating with him this Summer.”

* While Kane has been flying early, the most promising development for Chicago may be the play of captain Jonathan Toews who has been reunited on a line with old running mate Brandon Saad and Richard Panik."

“Johnny’s been excellent this year," Quenneville said. "His line’s been extremely balanced, quick, they all play a comparable game. They’re heavy with the puck, they’re dangerous off the rush, they seem to protect and hold the puck. I think Johnny’s a very competitive guy, but this year he seems to be the Johnny Toews that we know and he brings a lot to our team as far as every shift being important and playing the right way on both sides of the puck.”

During the summer, Toews focused on improving his quickness and agility by skating more and not spending as much time in the weight room.

"There’s no doubt that the rest with a longer summer helps a lot just mentally, for starter’s," Toews said. "And, I think at this point in my career, you kind of realize what’s been working for you and what you have to change. Physically, off the ice, you see how fast the game’s become with some of these young stars that have come in."

The playoff loss to the Predators still stings, but in some ways it was a necessary wake-up call. 

“It was ugly in a lot of ways," Toews said. "It was a learning experience for us and obviously you don’t want to learn the hard way, but sometimes you have to. We liked our team last year, we were confident, you know, we always seemed to be able to rely on our experience. But it gets to a point where teams are ready for you and a team like Nashville, you saw what they did all the way to the Cup final, they were playing the best hockey at the right time and it seems like we were pretty much doing the opposite."

- Mike Babcock knows Toews well, having coached him at the Olympics and World Cup. The Leafs head coach believes Saad's return will be huge for the 29-year-old Toews, who seemed to have a revolving door on his left wing at times last season.

“Last year, (Artemi) Panarin and Kane played together and he didn’t have much support," Babcock noted. "Now that they got him support he’s going to jump right back.”

Saad has posted four goals and an assist so far this season. 

* Anton Forsberg will start for the Blackhawks tonight making his debut in Chicago's crease. Corey Crawford, a Montreal native with great numbers against the Canadiens (7-0-2, .951 save percentage), will play in his hometown on Tuesday. 

Nick Schmaltz (upper body) will miss the game, but Quenneville is hopeful the centre will return to the lineup on Thursday. 

* Connor Carrick returned to the ice Monday morning after missing Sunday's practice, but the Leafs defenceman was paired with Roman Polak and stayed out late after the regulars. It appears the Illinois native will miss the opportunity to play his hometown team due to an upper-body issue. 

Andreas Borgman is expected to replace Carrick in the lineup and play alongside fellow Swedish rookie Calle Rosen. 

Eric Fehr will replace Dominic Moore in the Leafs lineup as the fourth-line centre. 

 

* Lines at Leafs morning skate: 

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander 

Marleau-Kadri-Komarov 

van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner 

Martin-Fehr-Brown 

Leivo, Moore 

 

Rielly-Hainsey

Gardiner-Zaitsev 

Rosen-Borgman

Polak-Carrick 

 

Andersen starts 

McElhinney 

* Power play units at Leafs morning skate: 

Rielly

Bozak-Kadri-Marner 

JvR

 

Gardiner

Matthews-Marleau-Nylander 

Leivo^

^ Placeholder for Komarov or Brown