Maple Leafs lose winger Steven Lorentz in Motown letdown

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The Maple Leafs are testing their depth for the first time.

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After losing center Scott Laughton to a preseason leg injury, another member of their fourth line was injured Saturday, a turning point in a 6-3 road loss to Detroit.

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After left winger Steven Lorenz left the game in the first period with a suspected head injury, coach Craig Berube took a 2-0 lead and was busy creating new lines.

Meanwhile, Detroit's three mid-period goals underscored the challenges the Leafs faced with their new lineup, from exhibition performances to the first two live-fire drills.

The consequences were some very tired defenders. Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo were forced to work separate two-minute-plus shifts during a long bench shift during that period. Max Domi briefly tied the game in the third, but Detroit took the lead with the night's only power play goal, scored by Lucas Raymond, who scored two goals, and Patrick Kane added a goal and two assists. Simon Edvinsson and Andrew Copp added the empty nets.

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After Detroit coach Todd McLellan criticized his team's goal in the home opener, its leading scorers — Kane, Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper — all looked clean to beat Anthony Stolarz. Online player Leaf had to make 20 saves before the game was half completed.

Toronto's fourth line led a strong forecheck in the first period before Lorenz was rocked by a collision with Detroit's Ben Chiarot.

Right winger Calle Jarnkrok, whose play prevented Easton Cowan from making his NHL debut in the fourth group, finished off Nicholas Roy's shot over the red line, Jarnkrok's second in as many games.

Changes after Lorenz included William Nylander taking the top line in the final period with Auston Matthews and Matthew Nice. Nylander had already been moved up from his second unit to replace Lorenz with Roy and Jarnkrok.

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The latter duo found the back of the net, with Roy breaking his stick blade and getting part of Rielly's point shot. A lot of the points scored by Jarnkrok, Roy and Rielly after four periods weren't on many people's bingo cards.

Moments later, Matthews took one shot off the post that narrowly missed the target and, after Toronto shot wide on the first power play, erased the lead with an errant high-stick shot. The power play was slow overall and Matthews was stuck with one empty net goal as Toronto's record is now 1-1.

Berube said Saturday morning that much of the decision to sit in Cowan's seat for a second time was not a desire to break up the winning lineup Wednesday against Montreal. With Saturday's failure and Lorenz's status pending, Berube now allows Cowan to take part in a home game: a rematch Monday afternoon against the Wings or Tuesday against Nashville.

Winger Sammy Blais also has yet to play his first game since being placed on waivers Monday.

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