Leafs edge Flyers in NHL tuneup in London

Nazem Kadri paces Toronto with goal and assist
After more than 7 years at The Woodstock Sentinel-Review as sports reporter and later as the sports editor, I ventured into real estate full time near the end of 1998.
I always do point out that after more than 14 years as a full-time Realtor, I do continue to explore freelance opportunities in media, including hosting London Knights broadcasts on Rogers TV and sideline sports writing. This past Sunday (yesterday) I attended the Maple Leafs / Flyers pre-season game to represent The Canadian Press. Here is the story I submitted:

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By Mark Schadenberg

LONDON, Ont. – After signing a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday just before the start of training camp, all eyes would be on Nazem Kadri hitting the ice for the first NHL pre-season game.

Kadri’s response would be netting Toronto’s first goal in a 4-3 exhibition win here over the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I know I have to go out and play well in each and every game. It will be a long season and quite a grind,” said Kadri, who starred in the OHL in the same Budweiser Gardens with the OHL’s London Knights.

Kadri and Mason Raymond each tallied one goal and an assist Sunday as the Leafs opened its NHL pre-season schedule with a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia in a neutral site game.

Troy Bodie and Paul Ranger also tallied for Toronto.

Brayden Schenn and Nick Cousins set the pace for the Flyers with a goal and an assist apiece, but it was Doug Clarkson with Philadelphia’s first goal of the pre-season, but his club already trailed 3-0 at the time.

At almost opposite ends of the hockey pyramid, Kadri, who inked a new two-year deal on the eve of training camp, is expected to produce after the 22-year-old collected 44 points in a shortened 48-game season last year, while the 28-year-old Raymond is with the Leafs on a tryout basis after 374 games with the Vancouver Canucks.

Performing also in his hometown, it was Kadri opening the offence as the Leafs scored three in 3:05 to manufacture an early 3-0 advantage. Kadri began a two-on-one rush inside his own blue line, implemented a drag move to awkwardly put Philadelphia defenceman Hal Gill out of position, patiently moved to the front of the net, before snapping the puck past Steve Mason.

“I had almost forgotten what it’s like to score in this building,” said Kadri, who also commented on the difference of an upcoming 82-game schedule compared to last year’s compressed campaign.

“Our team’s goal is to do better this year. We have forgotten about last year (playoff loss to Boston) as it’s all about the future now,” said Kadri.

Just 56 seconds after Kadri put the Maple Leafs on the scoreboard, Bodie, who split his AHL time between Portland and Norfolk last year and was inked as a free agent by Toronto in July, made it 2-0 by beating Mason in-close. Bodie received his pass on the doorstep from 2013 first round pick Frederik Gauthier.

The third Toronto marker displayed the speed of Mason Raymond as he tallied short-handed on a breakaway after stealing the puck at his own blueline and out-raced Philadelphia’s Erik Gustafsson down the right wing side.

“The puck hit his shin on the play,” explained Carlyle.  “Raymond has the type of speed where it’s going to be hard for anyone to catch him.”

Philadelphia would rebound with three consecutive, including Clarkson -- still in the opening frame -- plus Brayden Schenn and Cousins early in the second. The Cousins goal was started by a Gill point shot that went wide of James Reimer’s net and bounded out the other side for Cousins to flip in a backhand.

After netminder changes by both clubs, Toronto’s Paul Ranger welcomed Anthony Stolarz by converting a rebound on a give-and-go effort by Kadri and David Broll.

In 28 minutes of work, Toronto starter Reimer stopped 14 of 17, while counterpart Mason stopped 12 of 15. Maple Leafs’ Christopher Gibson, didn’t allow a goal in 32 minutes, credited with 13 saves, while Stolarz was beaten in his first minute, but settled down to make 14 saves on 15 shots.

Toronto coach Randy Carlyle was quick to point out post-game that there is a large difference between the first exhibition game and the regular NHL pace.

“I would give this game an overall average grade. We are trying to establish some of the staples of a hockey system here. It is interesting to watch how some players separate themselves from the rest of the group.

“The NHL plays at another level and you can’t make some of the mistakes we did tonight in certain areas of the ice,” said Carlyle.

The Flyers, meanwhile, are expecting to improve on their 10^th seed in conference finish last year, collecting just 23 wins and lagging six points back of the Islanders for the final Eastern post-season berth

Six former or current OHL London Knights dressed including Kadri, Dave Bolland and Ryan Rupert for Toronto, and Mason, Stolarz, and Zac Rinaldo for the Flyers.

After winning a Stanley Cup with Chicago earlier this year (and a Memorial Cup with the Knights in 2005), Bolland was traded to Toronto at the June draft table. On this night, he started the game alongside current Knight and Leafs draftee Ryan Rupert.

“Ryan has been working very hard and doing all the right things,” said Bolland. “He is on the right track to a pro hockey career. If he continues to do all the things the Hunters (London coach and president Dale and GM Mark) say that will also go a long way in helping his career.”

Bolland himself is fully prepared to learn the Carlyle playbook.

“Randy Carlyle is a coach with a lot of experience and there is a lot to learn at training camp with many different systems.” 
These two clubs meet again on Monday at 7 p.m. at Air Canada Centre in Toronto as the Leafs tuneup schedule includes eight games over 14 days before opening the real campaign Oct. 1 in Montreal. 
The Flyers open their official schedule versus Toronto at home, Oct. 2.