Michael Pezzetta’s night in Montreal barely got started before it was over.
The Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer dropped the gloves with Montreal Canadiens player Lucas Condotta and came out on top in what was described as a spirited fight. But the momentum from that scrap didn’t last long for Pezzetta - he was promptly ejected after the altercation.
The scene was already heated in Montreal, where emotions were boiling over early. Pezzetta, a former Hab, is trying to carve out a place on the Maple Leafs roster this season, and this was the kind of hard-nosed moment expected from him.
Not long after Pezzetta’s fight, Teddy Blueger got into one of his own. Blueger is also new to the Leafs after being signed in the offseason, and he’s trying to make his own case as well.
The game itself is part of a split-squad setup for Toronto, with the Leafs’ stars playing in Toronto while this group took on the Canadiens in Montreal. That Montreal lineup included the Canadiens’ stars along with a mix of prospects and fringe players.
With the Leafs’ top names elsewhere, the Montreal game was always likely to get chippy. Players on the bubble are trying to show they belong, and for someone like Pezzetta, who has spent much of the last few seasons in the AHL with only a few NHL starts here and there, every shift matters.
Blueger is expected to be on the roster on opening night, but Pezzetta’s path is much less certain. Still, the early scraps fit the tone of the night, and the Leafs’ willingness to bring some edge is the kind of thing that can stick with the coaching staff.
For Pezzetta, though, that was it. His night was done, and he wouldn’t get another chance to make an impression in the game.
In Other News...
Gavin McKennas First Leafs Game Is Raising An Immediate Concern
Gavin McKenna is about to get his first preseason look with the Maple Leafs, and the early conversation around him has already moved beyond his skating and skill. The detail drawing attention is his listed weight, which comes in about 10 pounds below what was recorded at the NHL Draft Combine, a shift fans noticed right away as they started circling his first game in blue and white.
For Toronto, the question is less about a number on a chart and more about how his frame plays in actual NHL competition. The league has plenty of examples of smaller players finding success by leaning on pace, balance and quick decision-making, and McKenna fits that broader discussion as he begins his Leafs preseason path. There is no official sign of any health issue, but the size talk is going to follow him until he shows what he can do on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
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Darren Raddysh scored Torontos lone goal, while rookie Gavin McKenna gave the club a glimpse of his playmaking touch even if the night included a penalty. For a Leafs team still sorting out its early preseason shape, the game was less about the scoreboard than the different levels of comfort shown by key veterans and younger pieces trying to carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Fans Should Be Watching This Dakota Joshua Situation Closely
Dakota Joshua was not in the Maple Leafs lineup for their preseason game against Montreal, and the absence stood out because there was no reported injury attached to it. For a player who came to Toronto in last seasons trade and delivered a respectable first year while also missing time with an injury, any missed appearance in September tends to get noticed quickly around a team still sorting out its roster and salary structure.
Joshuas situation is worth keeping an eye on because it sits at the intersection of on-ice value and cap management, two things the Maple Leafs have to weigh carefully every year. There has already been speculation that he could end up on waivers as a way to open up space, but for now there has been no official confirmation, leaving the door open to a range of possibilities as Toronto makes its final preseason decisions. [Read more 🡒]