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The Toronto Maple Leafs were not in an enviable position going into their contest with the New Jersey Devils. The club peppered Montreal with 48 shots in a 1-0 season-opening loss on Wednesday and were facing a Devils squad under former coach Sheldon Keefe that looked impressive in a pair of victories over Buffalo last weekend.
The Leafs jumped all over the Devils, scoring three first-period goals in a 4-2 Toronto victory on Thursday. Max Pacioretty, Bobby McMann, Steven Lorentz, and John Tavares scored for the Leafs, and the rookie goaltender Dennis Hildeby making his first start made 22 saves for his first NHL victory.
“I thought (Hildeby) was solid. He got tested on the power play for sure. He came up big, I thought he made some real good saves for us, and I'm very happy for him." Leafs head coach Criag Berube said after the game. "He looked pretty calm. he was tracking the puck well."
The key to the contest was not the club’s core group carrying the load as is normally the case, but the depth players contributing some secondary offense. The Pacioretty goal was a product of Nick Robertson slashing through the Devils' defense and creating havoc around goalie Jacob Markstrom, while the goals by McMann and Lorentz were a result of the fourth-line unit centered by David Kampf and without enforcer Ryan Reaves in the lineup going to the front of the net.
The performance of Hildeby gives the Leafs a slight reprieve from panic mode following the placing of Joseph Woll on injured reserve with a back ailment. Although the move was cautionary and not reportedly serious, the Leafs are more prepared this season with better organizational depth. Having Hildeby and veteran Matt Murray as third and fourth options behind Woll and Stolarz gives Toronto a safety net between the pipes, but for the Leafs to have a chance at a deep postseason run, they will need some consistency in net.
Woll will have to prove he can play a significant workload this season, and even then Leafs Nation will be nervous with every save or missed practice that he has suffered another setback.
The Leafs will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in their home opener on Saturday.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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