Before the Puck Drops: 3 Things to Watch as the Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading west, and I think three things are worth watching when they meet the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night. The Maple Leafs are 2-2 after four games, which means we're still very much in the “let's see what this team is” stage of the season. But Tuesday's 5-4 overtime comeback against Nashville gave us a few things to think about.

Most importantly, Gavin McKenna finally scored his first NHL goal.

So what should Maple Leafs fans be watching for in Vegas?

First, what does McKenna look like on the road?

Let's start with the obvious one. McKenna got the monkey off his back Tuesday with a terrific goal against Juuse Saros. He added an assist, was named the game's first star and took a well-deserved standing ovation from the Scotiabank Arena crowd.

Now comes something new. This will be McKenna's first NHL road game. I find that interesting. Playing at home as the first overall pick is one thing. Going into another building, where nobody particularly cares that you're 18 years old and the first pick in the draft, is another.

I don't expect him to suddenly become a different player. In fact, I'd rather watch the little things. Does he get to pucks? Does he make plays under pressure? Does he look comfortable? The goal was important. But what McKenna does after the goal might be even more interesting.

Second, can the Maple Leafs carry Tuesday's comeback with them?

Coming back from 3-0 down is fun. Doing it once doesn't tell us very much. What I want to see is whether Toronto carries some of that belief into Vegas. The Maple Leafs had plenty of reasons to pack it in against Nashville. Instead, they kept playing, Jack Roslovic tied the game, and Auston Matthews finished it in overtime.

That's the sort of game that can change a team's mood. But Vegas will provide a much different test. The Golden Knights are coming home after sweeping Vancouver and Seattle, scoring nine goals in those two games. They have started the season with plenty of confidence, and they'll be looking to keep that going in their own building. So I'm watching Toronto's response when things don't go perfectly. Do they stay with it?

Third, how does Toronto handle Vegas's top-end talent?

The Golden Knights have plenty of players who can make you pay for mistakes. Jack Eichel had four points Tuesday. Tomas Hertl had four points of his own. Mark Stone had a Gordie Howe hat trick. That's a lot of hockey sense and offensive ability in one lineup.

The Maple Leafs don't have to shut all of that down. That's probably unrealistic, but they do have to make Vegas work for its chances. This is one of those games where I'm less interested in counting shots or possession numbers and more interested in how Toronto handles the difficult moments. Can the Maple Leafs defend without simply sitting back? Can they turn defensive plays into offence?

And perhaps most importantly, can they play their game without getting distracted by everything happening around them?

Before the puck drops, four games into the season.

Four games into the season, I'm not ready to draw any big conclusions about the Maple Leafs. But we're beginning to see pieces of this new version of the team. McKenna has his first goal. Matthews is producing. The Maple Leafs have already shown they can come back from a hole.

Now they get their first real road test of the season. I'm curious to see what they look like when the building belongs to somebody else.