The Maple Leafs and Utah Mammoth held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
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Darren Raddysh is stuck on zero goals through 16 games and the Leafs defenceman believes he can do a better job generating offence.
“I’d like to shoot the puck a little bit more,” Raddysh said. “I think there’s times when, you know, maybe I’m passing it too much or I do shoot it and no one’s at the net front. That’s maybe not a good shot for me. But yeah, I think just try to keep doing what I do. Try to go about my business, and eventually one will fall.”
Raddysh is averaging 2.1 shots per game, which is down from 2.9 last season when he scored 22 goals. That offensive breakthrough helped earn him an eight-year, $68-million contract with his hometown team.
Raddysh is quarterbacking Toronto’s top power-play unit and so far the team is clicking at 30 per cent (sixth overall) on the man advantage.
“Our power play is pretty effective and he’s been an excellent distributor, more so than a shooter, so far,” coach Jim Hiller noted. “I think some of his best looks have been blocked in desperation plays by the opposition. If you can think back, he’s come in from that point, he’s bombed a couple and they’ve gotten blocked.”
Raddysh is still producing with nine assists, including five on the power play. He’s also leading the Leafs in ice time (23:40 per game).
“He’s moving the puck for us,” Hiller pointed out. “I don’t know if we expected him to be this strong defensively, playing some of those hard minutes against top players, so we like his game overall.”
And while Raddysh is looking to improve offensively, he is not letting the drought weigh on him.
“It’s a new year,” the 30-year-old said. “I think whatever you did last year, that’s in the past and if I don’t score a goal all year and we go on a long run and win the Stanley Cup, I’m okay with that. I’m just trying to help the team win as best as possible and just go about my business each and every day.”
No one has fired more shots on net this season without scoring than Raddysh, who has landed 35 on target.
Raddysh scored in his second game last season but only had two goals through 16 games.
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Raddysh sought out winger Zack MacEwen to work on shots at the end of Tuesday’s skate.
“Just talking about where you hit the puck on the ice and trying to maximize the speed of it as much as you can,” Raddysh said.
What’s the sweet spot?
“I’ve always been told just kind of hit right behind the puck,” Raddysh said. “I know some people don’t even think about it, but they’re hitting three, four, or five inches behind the puck and I think it just kind of kills some of the speed. So, try and hit the puck as close as you can to it and just maximize your shot.”
“Yeah, right on the puck, just right underneath it,” MacEwen agreed. “Yeah, it’s like a chip around a green. You want to hit like right down on the ball. You want to hit down the puck too.”
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Raddysh is tied with Nashville’s Roman Josi for the most shots in the 145-161 km/h range this season.
Mammoth defenceman MacKenzie Weegar considers Raddysh’s shot among the most fearsome he’s faced in the NHL.
“When Shea Weber was around that one was always good,” Weegar said. “[Also] when you shadow [Alex] Ovechkin on the half wall on the power play, but Raddysh is right there. When you see him winding up you kind of get the little flinch but it’s alright. We got a lot of equipment on and we can handle that.”
Weegar is tied for second in the NHL with 40 blocks this season.
“He’s got a heavy bomb and if we get a stick on it it’s probably better, but I don’t mind blocking shots,” the 32-year-old said with a grin. “I like eating shots and it gets me into the game, so I don’t mind it.”
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Raddysh and the Leafs will be shooting on a goalie they’ve never seen before on Tuesday as the Mammoth are starting rookie Sebastian Cossa.
“I’m expecting him to play a great game under the big lights tonight,” said Weegar. “Whenever you come into a Canadian market especially ... I think you get all energized and I think he’ll rise to the occasion. He’s got that game in him and we’re looking forward to him having a big game and standing tall for us back there.”
Cossa, 23, grew up in Fort McMurray, Alta., but was born in Hamilton, Ont. and still has family in the area.
“He’s excited,” said Mammoth winger and Toronto native Jack McBain. “We were talking about it before and he spent a couple years in Oakville too, so he’s been around here and I think everybody gets excited to play here. It’s a huge hockey market and everybody likes it.”
Cossa is 3-1-0 on the season with an .855 save percentage. He’s won his past two starts, including an overtime thriller in Pittsburgh last Thursday.
What stands out to Andre Tourigny?
“His size [6-foot-6] and as well his confidence in the net,” the Mammoth coach said. “He has the ability to make key saves at key moments. He came up big against Pittsburgh with two seconds to go … made a hell of a save against [Sidney] Crosby at the end of the game. He’s capable of coming up big.”
Utah’s No. 1 goalie, Karel Vejmelka, allowed five goals on 20 shots during a loss in Philadelphia on Sunday and has now dropped four of five decisions.
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The Leafs, meanwhile, are going back to their scuffling No. 1 goalie as Sergei Bobrovsky starts for the first time since allowing a last-minute, game-winning goal in Seattle.
“You put one in on him, that one means a lot,” said Mammoth winger Anders Lee. “He’s a Hall-of-Fame goaltender. He’s had a phenomenal career and still has a ton of game. We gotta make it tough on him tonight as much as we can.”
Lee has scored four goals in 21 career games against Bobrovsky.
With usual warm-up shooter Jack Roslovic staying off the ice on Tuesday morning, MacEwen was tasked with helping the 38-year-old goalie prepare.
“It’s honestly kind of nerve wracking,” MacEwen said with a smile. “You don’t want to mess up and miss a shot on him because he’s so dialled ... He comes up to you and he tells you exactly where he wants it and then if you miss one you’re like, ‘Ah, sorry man.’ But he’s good about it too. Yeah, he’s just super meticulous. He knows exactly what he’s trying to accomplish whenever he goes out on the ice every time and, you know, it’s really cool to see.”
Where did Bobrovsky want pucks shot on Tuesday morning?
“Everywhere,” MacEwen said. “Low it seemed. Low. Yeah, everywhere. Every time he’s just kind of creating different scenarios out there for game-like scenarios. Yeah, it’s always different.”
Bobrovsky seemed as loose as can be despite all the talk in the market about his underwhelming 3-5-2 start.
“Bob’s unreal,” Raddysh gushed. “Just the way he goes about his business. If it’s a good game or a bad game, you know, you flush it and move on to the next one.”
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John Tavares participated in the Leafs skate while wearing a red, no-contact sweater. It was the centre’s first team skate since suffering an undisclosed lower-body injury on Oct. 15.
The team has upgraded Tavares’ status from “week-to-week” to “day-to-day.” Toronto’s next game, after Tuesday, is on Saturday when the Montreal Canadiens come to town. The Leafs also host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday in the annual Hall-of-Fame Game.
What are the chances Tavares is able to play this weekend?
“Ah, I don’t know,” Hiller said. “He’s still got to do some progressing, but closer. That’s all I can give you, right. We get him into a practice with us, hopefully sooner rather than later, and then see how he does there and then make the next step.”
The Leafs have practices scheduled on Wednesday and Friday.
Toronto is 5-3-0 since Tavares got hurt.
“I think we’ve done alright,” Hiller said of filling the void. “We went on a bit of a run there. Stumbled a little bit out west in the middle of the trip, but I think we’ve done pretty well without him. But, I tell you, he’s an important player. He really is. He does so many things well. I think so many things that don’t get talked about, don’t get written about, that he does really well beyond just having the leadership that he provides in the room.”
Such as?
“Just really strong in puck battles,” Hiller said. “A really great offensive player who goes to spots that you hope everybody would get there, but he just understands where to go. And when he gets there, he’s able to make a play out of it. And then understanding the game without the puck.”
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Projected Leafs lineup for Tuesday’s game:
Cowan - Matthews - Roslovic
Joshua - Paul - Nylander
McKenna - Sissons - Lettieri
Duhaime - Blueger - MacEwen
McCabe - Raddysh
Rielly - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - Stecher
Bobrovsky
Stolarz