If you think of the Toronto Maple Leafs’Defense, it is easy to jump to the usual suspects – Morgan Rielly, perhaps Jake McCabe, or the one who is the Power Play Quarterback. But dig a little deeper and you will find something else that brews: two hard -enjoyed defenders give a calm lead on the blue line.
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Simon Benoit and Philippe Myers are not flashy. They do not set up points or chase newspaper heads. But every night they go with the aim of making the shelves of the top rules, finishing hits and doing the sandy blue activities that this team missed for far too long. In a market that knows its hockey and respects its grinding machines, Benoit and Myers Maple Leafs fans give exactly what they longed for.
Benoit and Myers do not wear hype, only hard hats
Simon Benoit did not arrive with much buzz. Unsigned. Depth piece. A player who you are injured in your schedule in your schedule in case someone is injured. But Benoit did not show up alone -He got stuck By playing the type of game that makes a stamp. He hits hard, he plays simple and he does not take a shift.
On 6-foot-4 he brings the size and a grin, but there is also discipline in his game. He is not running around there – he picks his spots, protects the net and keeps his side of the ice in order. Benoit is not trying to do too much. In a competition full of players who chase large plays, that is exactly what makes him valuable.
Myers does it quietly – and is doing well
On the other hand, Philippe Myers, who has had a bit of a winding road – with the Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, And now Toronto. It is not always easy for a player to find his game after bouncing, but in the case of Myers the Maple Leafs may have caught him at the right time.
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Myers is calm, stable and uses his long reach to make life difficult to move forward. No panic, no fringe. Just smart positioning, strongly knew and an experienced feeling in his piece that you don’t often get a blueler that is still younger than 30. In combination with the physicality of Benoit, Myers de Maple Leafs gives a player who might not be loud, but is certainly effective.
Both Benoit and Myers play the kind of hockey that counts in May
Everyone likes speed and skills – and Toronto has had enough. But let’s not fool ourselves: play -off hockey is an exhaustive struggle. Ice becomes tighter. Every centimeter becomes a battle. And that is where players such as Benoit and Myers not only become useful, but also critical. These are the players you want on the ice when it is 2-1 with five minutes to go.
When the Maple Leafs kill a penalty or when the top unit of the other team is pressing, these two have their head down and they work hard every team. They are the ones who bend for the fold, make life miserable for net crashers and remove second opportunities. Come and the Playoff time, you can’t falsify toughness. These two live it.
Maple Leafs fans love their grinders
Despite all the attention the stars get on this market (and rightly), there has always been a deep appreciation in Toronto for players who show up, hit the clock and make their hands dirty. Think of Roman Polák or Tim Brent players who earned every minute they received.
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Benoit and Myers cut the same kind of respect. They don’t try to be something that they are not. They stay in their lane, do the work and deserve the fans of the confidence of one place at the same time. And you can feel the cheers after a clean hit, a blocked shot, a well-deserved zone clearly, or perhaps especially, hard work to cover an error they have just made. It’s not just respect. It is a connection with Leafs Nation.
Benoit and Myers are more than just stopgaps
It is easy to look at players like Benoit and Myers and to think that they are just here until someone comes more skilled. But she sells that briefly. They are not temporary indications. They cut out.
With manageable contracts, clear responsibilities and a growing sense of chemistry, there is every reason to believe that they can be part of the blue line of the Maple Leafs for the long term – especially if Toronto wants to be a more difficult team to play against. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Just keep doing what they do: play tough, play smart and let the other team work for every centimeter.
Last awards for the heavy lifters
While the team is preparing for another push after the season, you will not overlook the head of the players who do the heavy work. Benoit and Myers may not make the post game interviews or end up on the score sheet, but they are trusting outside it, building momentum and bringing a lead that the Maple Leafs was missing too long.
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They are not stars. They are not rescuers. They may even be a little better – dependent. And for a team that pursues consistency on the blue line, that is perhaps the most valuable of all.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
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