Some highlights from Ilya Lyubushkin's Leafs debut
The newly acquired Ilya Lyubushkin made his much anticipated Maple Leafs debut on Tuesday, and despite not getting into a practice with his new club yet (besides one brief morning skate on Tuesday), he actually looked pretty decent.
While the Leafs did end up losing he contest by a score of 4-3 in OT, Sheldon Keefe was encouraged by what he saw from Lyubushkin and felt that he fit in well with the group. The Leafs' bench boss said in his post-game presser that he thought Lyubushkin competed hard and was effective at killing opposition plays that came into his space for much of the game, which is something you certainly love to see from a new addition who has yet to even work with the coaching staff and learn the system.
Below are a few of Lyubushkin's highlights from his first game as a Leaf. Judging by what we saw in his Leafs' debut in Columbus, the "Russian Bear" is going to fit in really well with the Buds.
The Leafs will now head back home to Toronto to prepare for Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild. With a couple of days to work at Ford Performance Center, Lyubushkin will be able to get acclimated with the team's system and become more familiar with his new teammates and some of their habits.
Ultimately, even though the Leafs did not get the extra point on Tuesday, it's tough to look at Lyubushkin's debut and not view it as a success - and it only goes up from here.
