TORONTO a€“ If there was one aspect of the Maple Leafs that general manager Dave Nonis believed had improved from one year earlier, it was depth a€“ especially up front. Toronto brass spent the summer months adding forwards of different distinctions from the free agent market, the trade market and as far away as the KHL a€“ not to mention the waiver wire, Richard Panik claimed from Tampa Thursday a€“ all with the idea of bolstering an underserved area of the roster. Fast forward to Wednesdays season opener and the earliest peek into what that depth may look like. Of the 12 forwards who dressed against the Canadiens, 11 played more than 10 minutes a€“ and one, Matt Frattin, played 9:24. Randy Carlyle, the Leafs head coach, was able to flip four lines with matching speed for three periods, including in the closing moments of the final frame a€“ Montreal winning late on the second of two goals from Tomas Plekanec. First Line Player Ice-Time vs. MTL James van Riemsdyk 22:07 Tyler Bozak 21:31 Phil Kessel 20:31 Fourth Line Player Ice-Time vs. MTL Matt Frattin 9:24 Daniel Winnik 10:39 Peter Holland 11:01 That kind of depth a€“ which produced Torontos game-tying goal late in the third a€“ simply didnt exist for the club a year ago. Consider that Colton Orr, in last seasons opener in Montreal, played less than three minutes, including one shift of 32 seconds in a close third period. Orr, who is now with the Marlies, played more than 10 minutes once in 54 games last season. Frazer McLaren, also demoted to the Marlies in the Leafs final purge after training camp, never played more than 10 minutes in 27 games. Intimidation aside, they combined for zero goals, zero assists and zero points last season. Torontos new recruits will assuredly provide more than that. The teams bottom two lines proved maybe their most effective against Montreal, all the more valuable given the woeful night of the top unit which turned pucks over, generated little offence and was scored on twice by the Habs first trio of Max Pacioretty, P.A. Parenteau, and David Desharnais. Four lines definitely does help out, especially early on in the games to get everyone involved, said Nazem Kadri, who scored the first goal for the Leafs in defeat. One of the potential effects of increased depth is precisely how it could affect that incumbent first line of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Leafs were overly reliant on the threesome last season, a toll that became evident with their struggles during the March collapse. Better balance (or at least the thought of it) stands to alleviate some of the burden on those players. More capability throughout the lineup also stands to increase possession, keep speed and some degree of skill constant, shift after shift, and add hints of offence where it was lacking in the past. Daniel Winnik, who lined up on the left side of the fourth unit Wednesday, offered 30 points as a Duck last year. That kind of production would be a drastic increase from the wasteland of the teams fourth line in 2013-14. This collection of depth forwards, however, is still very much in question. It remains to be seen whether Mike Santorelli can stay healthy and offer the versatility hes shown during stopovers in Florida and Vancouver or if Peter Holland can establish himself as a regular NHL player (centre ice remains a weak spot for the Leafs). It remains to be seen what kind of contribution David Clarkson can make in Year Two, whether Brandon Kozun can make the leap from the AHL, if Matt Frattin can define himself in this league. Its a wild-card group, really, one thats full of questions. But theres upside in the collection as well. And given the interchangeability of the parts, competition for ice-time seems a given and something the Leafs hope instigates improved performance and expanded roles. Youre going to have to work for your ice, said Kadri, who played only 14 minutes in the opener. Some days youve got it, some days you dont. You definitely have to earn it. Holland, for instance, hadnt killed penalties since junior, but took reps in the role against Montreal. Thats extra ice-time and opportunity for a player still trying to establish himself in the league and it comes at the expense of Bozak, for one, who struggled in the role (under heavy total minutes) last season. Theres also insulation in the case of injuries, a reality the Leafs didnt have a year ago when two of their top centres got hurt early in the season. We think we can play a skating game, an up-tempo game, said Carlyle. 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Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.Desiree Henry will go head-to-head with some of her sprint rivals at the Anniversary Games as she warms up for next months Rio Olympics. The Londoner helped to light the Olympic cauldron at the 2012 Games and will complete a remarkable journey when she competes in Brazil. Henry will return to the former Olympic Stadium in the capital for this weekends event, which will see her line-up in the 100m against the likes of Jamaicas Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and GB team-mate Dina Asher-Smmith.dddddddddddd. There were worrying scenes at the recent European Championships when Henry pulled up with cramp, but she has been cleared to compete again and will be seeking a confidence-boosting result.She said: That is going to be the last competition before Rio, so Im going to get a nice feel of what its going to be like to be out there, competing against some really fast girls. Click on the video at the top of the page to hear from Henry about her preparations for the Rio Olympics. ' ' '