Giordano, Domi help Leafs make statement before heading to Sweden

The Maple Leafs practised at Ford Performance Centre on Monday before travelling to Stockholm where they will play two games this week. 

After seeing Dakota Joshua level teammate David Kampf with a huge hit on Saturday night, Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano didn't hesitate to confront the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Canucks forward. 

"Just how it goes," the 40-year-old said. "Stand up for teammates."

Giordano had not dropped the gloves since 2017. 

"That Joshua, I mean, he's a big boy," Giordano said with a grin. "I went over there and I was like, oh boy, here we go."

But Giordano held his own against the 27-year-old and landed his fair share of punches. Fans chanted "Gio! Gio!" as the league's oldest player made his way to the penalty box. 

Later in the period, Leafs centre Max Domi immediately dropped the gloves with Ian Cole after the Canucks defenceman crunched Nick Robertson with a big hit. 

"That's just how our game works," said Domi. "When you see your buddy get hit, I mean, if you're on the ice that's just an instinct and a reaction."

"It just shows the character of our group," said Robertson. "He's a skill guy too. He's not really known as a fighter, but he has that feistiness in him and for him to stand up for me there, it's great to see." 

Saturday's scene stood in stark contrast to what happened on Nov. 2 in Boston. The Leafs didn't muster much of a response after Bruins winger Brad Marchand tripped defenceman Timothy Liljegren into the boards in the first period. Liljegren sustained a high ankle sprain and is on long term injured reserve. The team had a meeting to address what happened and vowed to be better.  

Joshua and Cole were not penalized for the initial hits on Saturday while Giordano and Domi were assessed instigator penalties. The Canucks scored on both power plays, but there were no regrets about how things played out. 

"I think it's more important we're showing other teams that you're not going to get away with things like that," Giordano said. "We got to continue to step up and do those things. I think it goes a long way over the course of the season."

"As a teammate you gotta answer the bell," agreed Domi. "Unfortunately we weren't able to kill that [penalty] off but, all in all, brought us together."

The Leafs rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win 5-2. 

"You see that emotion and the guys sticking together," said captain John Tavares. "We obviously want to get those kills, but it kind of came full circle with the way we defended the rest of the night on the penalty kill and the group staying together and staying with it and playing a solid 60 which we've talked about and we've needed to get to ... When guys put a lot on the line, stick up for one another, it just shows the camaraderie and how much guys enjoy being around each other and how tight knit it is in here."

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Kampf stayed in the game on Saturday, but was not on the ice at Monday's practice. 

"Kampf is going to be fine," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "He just needs some of the swelling to go down on his face from the 'clean' hit to the head that he took."

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Domi's father, Tie Domi, is the all-time fights leader in the NHL. 

"Pretty comfortable with it," the 28-year-old said of fighting. "It's part of my DNA. At the same time, it's not something you're going to look for, but if it comes knocking, never going to turn it down. It's part of the game and always will be. It's a huge part of the game."

What's the best advice his dad has given him about fighting? 

"I can't give you all my secrets or his secrets (smile). If one of your teammates gets hit or is injured or something ... you're expected to jump in there and he's echoed that to me my whole life so that's probably the main thing."

Domi, who broke his thumb during a fight in his second NHL season, played with Cole during the 2021-22 season when both were on the Carolina Hurricanes. 

"He's an honest guy and not trying to hurt guys out there," Domi said. "He plays hard. Big, strong guy. So, great dude. Obviously he wasn't trying to hurt Robbie but, at the same time, as a teammate you gotta answer the bell."

Robertson, 22, required stitches to his ear after the hit. 

"It's hockey," the 5-foot-9 winger said. "You're going to get hit. I'm not going to sit here and cry about the hit. It is what it is. So, I just take it like that. I'm happy Max stepped up for me and away we go."

Robertson scored later in the game.  

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The Leafs were scheduled to fly to Stockholm on Monday night. The team will play two games – Friday against the Detroit Red Wings and Sunday against the Minnesota Wild – as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden. 

"The biggest challenge is adjusting to the time change, but we have ample time," said Keefe. "They have done a good job of getting us there and giving us the time to adjust. We should be alright. I am sure the first couple of days will be tough."

The Red Wings held a practice in Sweden on Monday. They will play the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.  

The Leafs are going to hold a practice Tuesday afternoon shortly after landing in the Swedish capital. 

"We are going to go pretty much from the plane to practice tomorrow to keep busy," Keefe said. "We will have a quick stop at the hotel for lunch but then head to practice just to help try to keep everybody awake and try to get on Stockholm time."

Stockholm native William Nylander will be among the star attractions this week. 

"I'm sure he's going to be a rock star," said Domi. "I don't think it will affect him in any way but positive."

Nylander wasn't available to reporters on Monday. He will be so in demand this week that the team's media relations staff wanted to give him a day off from interviews. 

"He's going to get a lot of love," said Tavares. "Rightfully so."

Nylander will be packing a 15 game point streak for this homecoming trip. He leads the Leafs with 22 points, which is sixth overall heading into Monday's games. 

Nylander scored on yet another highlight-reel move in Saturday's game against the Canucks. 

"He's a man on a mission," said winger Bobby McMann, who made his season debut with the Leafs in the win. "Like, that goal, he just wasn't going to be stopped. He finds a way to put it in. It's fun to watch."

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Domi plans on catching up with family friend Mats Sundin, who was teammates with his dad in Toronto. 

"He's been trying to get me to Sweden for a long time," Domi said. "He loves it. I mean, he sends me pictures once in a while of him on the water at his house and it looks like paradise so I'm looking forward to checking it out."

Tavares is also hoping to get the chance to visit with a fellow Leafs captain. 

"I met him before but don't know him well," the 33-year-old said. "No question, you're talking about one of the greatest Leafs of all time ... We always talk about how strong Leafs Nation is and I can only imagine it will be a tremendous amount of support when we go there."

The Leafs will likely have four Swedes in the lineup this week with winger Calle Jarnkrok, defenceman William Lagesson and defenceman John Klingberg joining Nylander. 

"Our Swedes, I am sure, will be leading the charge in showing guys around," said Keefe. "It gives all of us a chance to experience their culture and life over there. I think it is a terrific opportunity for us."

The team will enjoy a day off on Thursday. 

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Klingberg missed Monday's practice. 

"It is a chance for him to get more treatment," said Keefe. "We will continue to monitor his situation." 

Klingberg also sat out Friday's game due to a nagging injury issue. 

"We don't think he will be on the ice tomorrow, either, but he should be okay to hit the ice on Wednesday," said Keefe. "With some of the treatment that he is getting, he needs a couple of days to really help let that settle."

Klingberg was able to play on Saturday. He logged 19 minutes and finished the night plus-one. It was a welcome response after he was on the ice for four goals against on Wednesday in a loss to the Ottawa Senators. 

"Klingberg came in and gave us a lot of positive plays on the break out to help us get out of our zone," Keefe noted. 

Keefe didn't reveal the nature of the injury, but TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports it's a lower-body issue. 

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Ilya Samsonov also bounced back on Saturday night. He stopped 31 of 33 shots to earn his first win since Oct. 14. 

"Back on track," the 26-year-old goalie said. "Good game for me. Good for the team."

Samsonov had not played since being pulled in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 6. How did he regroup after that performance special? 

"Nothing special," he said. "Just more in the head ... Don't think too much. Like, just keeping working."

Samsonov did a series of sessions with goalie coach Curtis Sanford last week. Former Leaf forward Nik Antropov, a member of the team's development staff, also helped out by taking shots and translating some of the messages. 

"My first language is Russian," Samsonov noted. "It's more understand in Russian. He's nice guy. He helped me. He said, 'Don't panic.' Yeah, he said the right words."

The team has leaned on Antropov, a native of Kazakhstan, when it comes to helping their prospects and players from Russia. 

"He has an ability to relate to our players and what they're going through especially those who have come from Russia," said Keefe. "Just to be able to speak the language even can help with transition or can just help by [being] somewhat of a familiar voice."

It's been a really tough start to the season for Samsonov, who has an .870 save percentage through eight games. He's been pulled in two games. Last month, he opened up about the impact the on-ice performance was having on his mental health. 

"We have spoken to Sammy just about the importance of not being too hard on himself and being able to push past anything that might come up," said Keefe. "He's got high expectations of himself and he wants to please and do really well and when that's not the case he feels like he's letting people down, but that's not what it's about for us. It's more about building him up."

Nylander passed Samsonov the team's player-of-the-game belt after Saturday's win. 

"I think, for me, really important to get some better and better every practice," Samsonov said. "That's how confidence works. If you're working hard in the practice, yeah, your confidence is up all the time. This is more important right now for me." 

"The reality is this guy, since he's been here, has bounced back really every time," said Keefe. "He did the same thing the other night."

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It's been a smoother start to the season for Joseph Woll, who has a .908 save percentage through nine games. And the rookie is feeling the love from Leafs Nation. During an autograph session over the weekend, the 25-year-old, who once used the handle 'Brick Woll' on social media, was asked to sign an actual brick. 

"There was certainly a lot of room to write on it," Woll told reporters on Monday. "And it was a [solid] surface."

Woll's name is actually pronounced 'Wohl' and not 'Wall' even though the latter may be more fitting for a goaltender. 

"It's kind of a weird last name. It's a mouthful," he said. "Until recently I haven't had that many people trying to pronounce my name."

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With a goal on Friday night, Tavares moved past Paul Kariya and into sole possession of 100th place on the NHL's all-time scoring list. 

"I didn't know that," he said with a smile. "Hearing that, it's pretty cool. The league's been around for a long time so to move into that position is pretty awesome. I've done something right here over the last few years (smile). But quickly the page will turn and it's just about the next one and trying to go out there and be productive and be a good player and help this team out as best I can."

Tavares will likely be climbing the all-time list again soon. With 991 points, he's just one behind ex-Leaf Phil Kessel and four behind former Leafs teammate Jason Spezza.

Tavares is as meticulous as they come and always looking to find ways to improve. On Monday, he experimented with a different stick. 

"Oh, I think there's no question that one doesn't suit me very well," he said with grin. "But we got a few days here ... Sometimes, throughout the year, you're on the ice so much, it's just good to try some different things, get a different feel, and just play around. That's something I picked up from Auston [Matthews]. He plays around with things a lot and likes to get different feels." 

Tavares looked strange holding a white stick with white tape on Monday and switched back to his usual black-on-black look for the second half of practice. 

"I know that's pretty drastic from what I use, what I started with at practice today, but it's more about playing around, trying different things, and seeing how it feels," he said. "But I'm also aware what's brought me a lot of success too." 

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Toronto's fourth line – Kampf between Noah Gregor and McMann – scored twice on Saturday night.

"We kept it pretty simple," said Gregor, who beat Thatcher Demko with a nice shot. "We played with pace. We played with speed. We put pucks in areas where we were able to get it back and we were able to convert on a couple. It was good to see. It's nice for me and Kampfer, for sure, to get some momentum going."

Gregor had not scored since the season-opening game. Kampf scored his first goal of the season. 

Saturday was the first time Ryan Reaves sat as a healthy scratch. He was replaced by McMann, who picked up a pair of assists. 

"We played to our strengths and that's speed and getting on pucks and getting on the forecheck," McMann said. 

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Conor Timmins practised in a regular sweater for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Sept. 29. 

"He seems to be progressing very well," said Keefe. "In fact, he seems to be getting a little ahead of schedule because he has been able to get these practices in — one last week and one today — that was quite fast and competitive. He seemed to get through it without issue."

Timmins was always going to accompany the team to Sweden so he could continue to take part in practice, but now there's a chance he will play. 

"It seems like he will be a more active participant," Keefe confirmed. "Depending on what we can get out of these practices when we get there, we will be able to make a determination on his status later in the week."

The return of Timmins would give the Leafs another right-shot option on the back end. With Liljegren and Klingberg out, the Leafs iced an all-lefty defence on Friday.

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Lines at Monday's practice: 

Knies - Matthews - Marner 
Bertuzzi - Tavares - Nylander 
Robertson - Domi - Jarnkrok 
McMann - Gregor - Reaves 

Rielly - Brodie 
Giordano - McCabe 
Benoit - Lagesson 
Timmins 

Samsonov
Woll