Maple Leafs captain John Tavares ready for season opener

Maple Leafs captain John Tavares declared himself healthy and ready to play in the season opener in Montreal on Wednesday.

“I’m delighted to be able to be there from the start,” Tavares said after Tuesday’s training. “Butterflies never change, no matter how many times you pass through them. Since it’s Toronto-Montreal, there’s no such thing either. So that should be awesome, the start of another journey .

This trip will hopefully have a different ending than the previous one. While all seemed well with the Leafs after a regular-season record 115 points last year, that was followed by another first-round playoff exit.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to be the best team we can be, to improve every game, to improve on what we did last year,” said defenseman Morgan Rielly. “We have big aspirations for this group, to try to finally win a championship at some point. This trip is ongoing.

Indeed, the playoffs are a long way off as the Leafs enter their 106th season. “If you’re looking at an 82-game season, it can be daunting,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “That’s why you stay where your feet are. Today is about getting ready for Montreal. Then you are on the plane. You go out there and try to build positive momentum and keep building as a group.

Last year, early season health issues were part of a slow start. Auston Matthews missed the first three games. Ilya Mikheyev (thumb) and Petr Mrázek (groin) were injured early. Tavares’ health was the big question at the end of this training camp. If he wasn’t in good enough shape to play, the Leafs—tough on the cap—should have played a short man against Montreal. And they would have been without one of their key players, a great face-off player, a point-per-game forward and a great power-play presence.

“It gives us a jolt and a boost,” Keefe said. “Not only does the talent (of Tavares) and what he brings to our team makes us much more dynamic and more difficult to control and defend, but he is our captain. So having the presence of a captain from the start of the season is always good.

The first line of Matthews, Michael Bunting and Mitch Marner should produce as they did last year as one of the best units in hockey. And the bottom two lines look better than ever with Zach Aston-Reese, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Calle Järnkrok added to the mix.

It’s Tavares’ line, which struggled last year, that probably needs the most polish. Tavares, after all, missed a good chunk of camp with a strained oblique muscle. He and William Nylander are entering their fourth season together and will be joined by Denis Malgin, who has had an outstanding camp.

Malgin is a small five-foot-nine player, but he’s hungry to prove he belongs in the NHL. He has spent the last two seasons in Europe after his first game with the Leafs went badly.

“I’m excited. I’m happy to be here,” Malgin said. “It’s a good feeling.”

There’s no doubt that all three have a decent scoring touch. Malgin’s four goals led the Leafs in the preseason and he was tied for second in the NHL with eight points.

“His confidence in his game really showed throughout training camp and pre-season. He played fantastically,” Tavares said. “He can do a lot of really good things with the puck, and very quickly. He matches our style of play and he can do very well. It’s more comfortable for him to be here for the second go-around.

Remarks Matt Murray will get the start in net against the Canadiens with Ilya Samsonov starting Thursday’s home opener against his former team, the Washington Capitals… There’s no time for defenseman Timothy Liljegren , who is recovering from hernia surgery, begins training with the team yet again…The Leafs are 15-19-1 (with eight old-school draws) at the start of the the season on the road.

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