Steven Lorentz Shares Thoughts on Playing on Leafs' Top Line With Matthews and Marner
Typically in the bottom-six, Steven Lorentz gets a dream opportunity Tuesday to skate alongside Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews on the Leafs' top line.
Leafs head coach Craig Berube was not impressed with the effort level of his club following their 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks Saturday night.
With his comments fresh in the minds of many, the Leafs returned to practice Monday where he shook up his forward lines in a major way.
Matthew Knies dropped down to the second line and was replaced by Lorentz on the top line next to Marner and Matthews. Following practice, Lorentz was asked about the opportunity, opening his media availability with a comical one-liner before touching on the opportunity and what he brings to the line.
"I'm used to looking a little bit lower down in the lineup for mine name," said the 28-year-old Kitchener native. "I was a little nervous at first. Anytime you're playing with guys of that caliber, it's unfortunate, but you have little bit bigger of expectations, but at the same time I'm not up there to play that skill game that those guys are so good at. I'm there to do what I've been doing all year, use my size and my speed to try and create space. I talked to those guys individually after practice and I just said 'be a little patient with me' and they said 'absolutely, don't try to do anything out of your comfort zone, just go get pucks back and we'll do the rest, just go to the net.' That stuff is easy for me, if I do what I'm good at, they'll do what they're good at and hopefully we can find some chemistry...I can't try to speed up my thinking to get on their level because I just don't have that but I just need to slow it down and stick to what I'm good at -- going into those corners, winning those battles, trying to get the puck back for them...little things like that."
Lorentz's conversations with Matthews and Marner after practice were short, but it appears that everyone understands what is expected of them and the hope is that they will be able to generate some offense for a team that has scored just three goals over their last two games.
Craig Berube also touched on the line shuffle following practice, noting that he is a fan of how Lorentz plays and wants him to continue playing his game.
"I like his size, I like the way he plays the game, his pace, getting on pucks in the offensive zone, forechecking, getting to the net, things like that. He's a simple player but I'm just looking for somebody to get in there with Matthews and Marner and create some loose puck battles and make sure he's at the net all the time and they can do their thing."
The Leafs will be in tough against the Dallas Stars Tuesday, but there is optimism that getting back to simple hockey will help the team snap their mini two-game slide.
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