Maple Leafs lose, but keep it close with Detroit Red Wings lineup

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DETROIT — Salute to the ’70s and ’80s night could’ve been a throwback setback for the Maple Leafs.

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With a largely AHL lineup reflective of high training camp numbers, seven mostly B list players 74 to 84, they still kept a stronger Red Wings team at bay until the late stages of Friday’s match at Little Caesars Arena.

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Joe Veleno’s goal midway through the third provided the 4-2 empty net win. Many in Friday’s ranks will be in the Marlies group by next week, but it was still a chance for general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe to grade them against a decent team.

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Set to join the NHL Leafs, who will be almost all on display at Scotiabank Arena Saturday in Toronto’s final exhibition game, is Rasmus Sandin. In his first action after a September contract holdout, the fluid defenceman looked his old self.

Ilya Samsonov’s last tune-up in net was a 20-plus save performance, some big ones when the young defence that included Filip Kral, Marshall Rifai, MIkko Kokkonen, William Villeneuve and Mac Hollowell were over-whelmed by a Detroit push. A couple of huge third-period power play stops capped his night.

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WHERE WILL NICK STICK?

Nick Robertson entered the game in a tie for second in NHL preseason points with seven in four games, then assisted on a Sandin goal.

The issue now is who to play Robertson with. While his training camp success has come on the left side with Alex Kerfoot and William Nylander, that line will change its dynamic when John Tavares returns from an abdominal injury and bumps Kerfoot from the middle. That could put Robertson in the mixer with a number of bigger two-way players the Leafs want on their third and fourth units — if they don’t ultimately decide to let him try and dominate in the AHL for a while.

ROUGH MORNING FOR METE

The Leafs skated at home Friday morning (they will resume arriving the day before a game when the regular season starts), but it wasn’t a smooth departure.

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Defenceman Victor Mete was struck by a Robertson shot in the leg during practice and did not make the trip, though the injury is not considered serious. Villeneuve, the graduating Saint John Sea Dogs junior, took his place.

Defenceman Justin Holl missed practice with food poisoning.

GAME ON

The Leafs jumped on Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic for two quick goals, an Adam Gaudette drop pass for Nick Abruzzese’s wrister and Sandin’s short side point shot through traffic. Defensively, Logan Shaw and Denis Malgin knocked away passes at the last second on odd-man Detroit rushes … Hollowell tried to block Tyler Bertuzzi’s shot but it got past him and Samsonov, but in the third Hollowell prevented a power play goal on a scramble … Villeneuve was schooled by Elmer Solderblom out of the corner, the impressive 6-foot-8 young Swede going high on a backhand to make it 2-2. Samsonov recovered to stop Dylan Larkin as the Wings poured on pressure … The game’s first penalty wasn’t until the second period, the Leafs starting powe-play unit consisting of Abruzzese, Gaudette, Bobby McMann and Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, with Sandin back … One of the nicest Leaf breakouts of the evening was an unlikely series of backhand passes by Kyle Clifford to McMann to Logan Shaw … Wayne Simmonds and Clifford were alternate captains among all the kids in Friday’s lineup, though seeing both in the same game once regular season starts is unlikely. Big Glace Bay N.S., centre Shaw was between them.

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MARTINA MOVES ON

When they hired her at age 15, the Leafs hoped Martina Ortiz Luis could be an anthem singer who could “grow”, along with young stars such as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

But other music scouts appreciate her as well and six years later, she is moving on to other projects. She posted a farewell message Friday thanking the Leafs, though the club had already begun an audition process with the new singer to be introduced next week.

LOOSE LEAFS

Tavares’s quick recovery continues, but the team won’t rush getting him back in for the season opener. Monday’s practice, following a day off Sunday, will determine his status … Loosening of the COVID rules in Canada means the unvaccinated Bertuzzi can now travel to his native land after sitting out games north of the border. That can start as soon as Saturday if coach Derek Lalonde desires. He did intend to play some Wings back-to-back … The over/under on Leaf points this season according to BetOnline.ag is 107.5, the Wings 84.5, which is about 10 more projected than last season … … Nedeljkovic has a new mask with tributes to Red Wing goalie greats such as Terry Sawchuk and Dominik Hasek.